Shadows
by Pikachu Ate My Muffin
Summary: Darkness, it surrounded her like an endless void. Then she began to wonder, was the world always this dark? Kuraitsuki Kyofu awakes from a two year sleep, out of sorts and searching for a captain she met years ago. Happening upon Seireitei, a new adventure unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach.

* * *

Part One

-Darkness Conquers All-

Chapter One

_The frosty winter air blew against my cheeks, crisp snow crunching beneath my feet. The sky was gradually growing darker, and the echoes of clanging swords were growing fainter with every step._

_ I was no longer aware of where I was heading exactly. My instincts just told me to run, or stagger, considering the state I was in. I held the large wound in my stomach with one hand, and dragged Hyorinmaru with the other._

_ My feet and the tip of my zanpakuto left a faint trail, along with drops of blood from my stab wound._

_ It had been a long battle, and one of the hardest fought since the war with Aizen. It seemed the mighty Captain Hitsugaya had finally descended. _

_ My vision began to get blurry as the world around started to sway. I felt myself stumbling, and suddenly my conscious state went blank._

"_Hey" a distant voice whispered; a soft, feminine voice. "Hey man, you okay?" _

_ When I tried to open my eyes, my vision was fogged and bleary with sleep. But I happened to notice… I was no longer cold._

_ The sound of a crackling fire could be heard nearby. I could no longer hear the whistling of the wind; _I must not be outside, _I thought. A wet cloth was placed on my forehead._

_ I tried opening my eyes once again, this time with slightly more luck. I caught a glimpse of hair; long, black hair._

_ "You awake?" asked the same voice as before. She gently placed her hand on my arm._

_ I jolted up at the sudden contact. We were face to face; my eyes were ablaze with panic, hers with slight surprise._

_ "Welcome back to the world of the living, Captain!" she shouted with a chuckle._

_Her name was Kuraitsuki Kyofu. She was, much to my surprise, not a shinigami. But yet, she had a zanpakuto; Nisshoku. She had long black hair and piercing silver eyes, the kind of eyes I could never forget._

_ We sat on the wooden boards of her small hut, located in one of the remote districts of the Soul Society. She lived alone with very few neighbors._

_ I was sitting up, one hand on my newly wrapped wound, the other accepting a cup of tea from the small girl. She gave me a quick smile, and then sat down across from me._

_ "Your haori" she stated._

_ I looked up from the tea she had recently given me, "what?"_

_ "Your haori, that's how I figured you're a captain, but," she paused, "you're pretty young for a captain. What are you, some sort of prodigy?" She laughed a little at that._

_ "Yes" I replied bluntly._

_ This cut off her light laughter. Then, it was like some sort of light bulb went off in her head. "You're _that _prodigy!" she shouted, pointing at me. "Toushiro Hitsugaya, if I remember correctly."_

_ "Yes" I confirmed, taking a small sip of the tea. My eyes drifted to the weapon lying in the corner of the room. "Where did you get a zanpakuto?" I questioned, my eyes moving back toward her face._

_ Her forehead crinkled in thought. "Nisshoku? I-I'm not quite sure. It's been with me for as long as I can remember."_

Odd,_ I thought. I sipped the tea, it was beginning to cool._

_ "You should rest some more" she said softly, looking me in the eye. There was something hidden deep in that look. It was a certain willfulness, almost challenging me '_don't do what I say, and see what happens. I dare you.'

_ So I complied, and drifted off once more._

_I stayed with Kuraitsuki for two weeks. Once I was completely healed, I knew it was time to leave. I felt a strange longing to stay with her, hear her soft laughter, maybe even live there; a place where it seemed there wasn't a care in the world. But I couldn't just abandon my position as captain. So at the end of those two weeks, I left with only a simple goodbye._

"Captain!" Matsumoto shouted, jolting me awake. As my head whipped up from the large desk, papers flew up, then continued in a downward motion, scattering across the floor.

"Matsumoto!" I yelled.

She instantly went red. "I-I'm sorry Captain, b-but Captain Ukitake sent me. There's a meeting."

I quickly composed myself before rising from my chair. Swiftly exiting the Squad Ten office I called back, "I want all those papers picked up by the time I'm back!"

"H-hai Captain!" the panicked Vice-Captain squeaked.

I rushed through the Tenth Division, all the while my mind occupied with that one reoccurring dream.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach

* * *

Chapter Two

Darkness, it was everywhere; beneath me, beside me, and above. I could feel it pulsing through my veins, flickering across my eyelids, pounding beneath my ribcage. _Was the world always this dark? _I thought, a subtle panic beginning to rise up inside of me.

_No_, my mind whispered. There was a time, a short time, full of so much joy, so much light.

_I found him, one cold, winter evening. He was just lying there, the snow around stained with blood. He was small, with a mop of spiky white hair. Dressed in a haori, I instantly recognized him as one of the captains of the Gotei 13._

_ Scrambling in shock, I rushed to the small captain, and managed to drag him back to my hut. From there on I treated his life-threatening wound with the meager amount of medication I possessed, and wrapped it._

_ He slept for a couple of hours after I had rescued him, but once he finally awoke, I was amazed to be met with such unique turquoise eyes. And I smiled._

_Life had been so lonely before him, memories spotted here and there. Had I been in darkness before he came? It was possible. I contemplated the thought, but with him around, that subject didn't stay on my mind for long._

_ "Toushiro!" I shouted, walking through the entry way of my home. "I'm back."_

_ He was groggily rubbing sleep from his eyes, and then he looked up at me._

_ "Did you sleep well? We have to rewrap your wound, if you don't mind, of course" I said._

_ He gave a small nod._

_ So I unwrapped, applied a small amount of medication, and rewrapped once again. It was a daily routine, and after about a week, the young captain could get out of bed._

_ "Your squad must be so worried about you" I said one evening._

_ "I suppose so" he responded, "but I'm more worried about all the paperwork that must be piling up. Matsumoto couldn't work to save her life."_

_ I chuckled. He had spoken of his drunken vice-captain a couple of times before. No matter how harsh he spoke of her, I could tell she was dear to him._

_ I heard many more stories about his time as a captain, as well as his friends. There was a girl, Momo Hinamori. They were childhood friends, his voice displayed the fondness he felt for her._

_ And then there was Ichigo Kurosaki, who Toushiro was not too fond of. Ichigo sounded like a fun person to be around, and a great friend considering he risked his life to save a shinigami by the name of Rukia Kuchiki._

_ Although quite entertaining, Toushiro's stories weren't the only things I liked about him. _

_ Towards the end of his stay with me, he taught me about basic Kido. Apparently I was almost as bad as a man named Renji Abarai. Considering how bad I was, Vice-Captain Abarai's Kido must have been disastrously deadly._

_ A couple of days after Toushiro and I gave up on my Kido, he brought up the one subject I was dreading._

_ "I'm practically healed now, Kuraitsuki" he said, looking up from his dinner. "I think it's about time I left, tomorrow."_

_ "T-Tomorrow?" I asked, exasperated. "But isn't that a little soon? I… I understand you have duties and all but..." I trailed off. This was selfish of me, to keep him here._

_ "You could come with me" he stated. I looked at him in shock. "You wouldn't be alone anymore."_

_ There wasn't much to think about, both my mind and my heart screamed 'yes!', so why not agree? I nodded my head furiously. "Oh yes Toushiro, I'd love that. But I have some belongings to get together. I'd have to say goodbye to a couple people in the village. But after that, I'll find you. I'll definitely find you."_

_ He gave a small smile, "I suppose it's settled then."_

_Toushiro left the next morning. Once he was gone, I began tying up loose ends in town. When I went to bed that night, I was smiling like a giddy child._

_ But when I finally fell asleep, I didn't wake up._

I could taste the darkness I was floating in. I felt it traveling down my throat, and engulfing me from the inside; it tasted bitter.

That one time in my life, it was such a happy time. But my happiness was ripped away by unknown circumstances. Now I was here, in this deep, hollow darkness.

I began to wonder how long it had been. Did Toushiro even remember me? I internally shivered at the thought.

The shadows around began to pulse inside me, pounding through my brain. Suddenly I heard a booming voice that swiped away this endless void, "awaken!"

And I did just that.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach

* * *

Chapter Three

"How was the meeting Captain?" Asked Matsumoto, stretched out on the office's couch. She gave a long yawn.

My eye twitched ever so slightly. It appeared she had been napping the whole time I was away, _how typical_.

"At least she managed to pick up the papers" I muttered to myself.

"What was that Captain?" she drawled, slowly rising to a sitting position.

"Nothing of your concern, Matsumoto; and the meeting was just brief report on how the squads are doing. Everything seems to be perfectly peaceful" _oddly enough_, I added to myself.

"How boring" she mumbled. "Ah well, more time for sake" she sang, "I'll be off drinking with Kira if you need anything, Captain." She then proceeded to waltzing out the door.

I sighed. Picking up a stack of paperwork, I began filling it out accordingly. The shadows outside continually shifted, signifying the passing time. An hour went by, then two, and soon enough night had fallen onto Seireitei.

My eyes began to droop, and I felt the weight of sleep upon me. Before I could manage to nod off, I heard a sudden crash outside, followed by shouting.

_What in the world-?_ I thought.

Setting a hand on Hyorinmaru, I sprinted out the door, following the sound of voices. As the noises got louder, I could also hear the clanging of swords along with the hollering of many shinigami.

I began flash-stepping, and turned the corner to find myself face-to-face with a large crowd. They were milling around two people, who I assumed were the ones fighting.

"You're pretty tough for a shorty" bellowed Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

_What the hell is going on here?_ I thought, bewildered. I began pushing my way through the mass of people. The crowd was so thick; I started growling in irritation without realizing. Finally making my way to the front, the sight I was met with was shocking.

Fighting the fierce captain of Squad Eleven was none other than Kuraitsuki Kyofu.

"Oh damn" I muttered. How the hell did she get this far? "Zaraki!" I yelled. This seemed to get his attention for a moment. "Leave the girl alone" I said in exasperation.

Both of them lowered their zanpakutos. Shifting her gaze towards my direction, Kuraitsuki finally noticed me.

"Toushiro!" she squealed. With a speed unmatched by any other, the tiny girl sprinted towards me.

I didn't have much time to react before she effectively tackled me into the soft snow. The large mass of shinigami stared at us in shock.

"Oh my gosh! Toushiro! Look at you!" she gushed. "Your hair's different. Are you taller? Not by much, but it's still an improvement. And nice scarf!" she fingered the green material. She was giggling like a child, her long black hair fanned out behind her. Her eyes seemed to glimmer with excitement.

"Kuraitsuki" I said, attempting to get her attention. She was still giggling. "Kuraitsuki!"

She finally looked up. "What it is, Toushiro?"

"Why are you here?" I asked. A look of hurt crossed her face.

"What do you mean? You said I could meet you here. You said that I didn't have to be alone anymore."

The people, who were previously milling about, began to back away, realizing that the battle had turned into a more personal matter.

"Yes, two years ago. Where have you been?" I asked, a tired look forming on my face.

She slowly got off of me, and rose to her feet. I followed her actions with caution. She looked shocked, even scared. "What do you mean?" she questioned. Her voice shook.

"Come on" I muttered, grabbing her arm. "I'll explain once we get inside."

"So you've been asleep this whole time?" I asked.

Kuraitsuki nodded, looking down into her tea. "Well…" she paused for a moment, "I'd call it a coma, rather than just 'asleep.'"

"Yes. A coma induced by what, though?" I inquired, mostly speaking to myself. _So that's why she never showed up_, I thought. I had always assumed she just had second thoughts and decided to stay. But this was a completely different situation.

"How did you wake up?" I asked her.

She knit her brows in thought. "I'm not quite sure. I remember a voice, but that's really it."

I had noticed this before. Whenever she told me stories about her childhood, there were always gaps in the most random of places. Her memories almost seemed… incomplete.

There was definitely something strange going on here. But the question that bothered me, what exactly _was_ going on?


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach

* * *

Chapter Four

It was getting pretty late; I could tell dawn was coming soon. Toushiro and I were both in his office still. I was seated on the couch, him pacing behind it. He kept his eyes focused on me as I explained what I did once I had woken up.

"-and the first thing that came to mind was you. So I got up, went to the village, and asked for directions to Seireitei. Getting directions was harder than I thought. Almost no one knew where this place was! But once I figured it out, I ran here as quickly as I could. Turns out, this place isn't so far away! Then there were these huge walls. I used my shikai to break through it, though."

He looked at me in shock.

"Ugh, is it bad that I broke in?" I asked quietly.

He just sighed in response, and then motioned for me to continue with the story.

"Right, well, once I got in these shinigami kept pointing at me. Then one of them tried to attack me! It was so rude. But I just knocked him out with the hilt of Nisshoku. I managed to get all the way to Squad Eleven, which I knew was close to your squad, but then this huge guy runs over laughing.

"He challenged me to fight, saying something about 'incredible reiatsu', whatever that means. So I did. And then you found me!"

He began massaging his forehead, muttering "the other captains are not going to like this."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Nothing, just forget it. You should probably rest, it'll help you grow" he said in a tired voice.

"Obviously doesn't help _you_ grow" I pointed out. This irritated him. Before he could say anything else, a woman came stumbling into the room.

"Hey Captain, heard something about a shorty?" she hiccupped.

"You're drunk Matsumoto, go home. I'll explain everything tomorrow" Toushiro said in a flat tone.

_Ah, so this must be the infamous Rangiku Matsumoto_, I thought.

Completely ignoring her captain, the drunken woman sauntered over to me. "So _this_ is the shorty, eh?" she slurred.

"Ah, yeah, I'm Kuraitsuki Kyofu, nice to meet yo- umph" I was interrupted as Matsumoto hugged me, effectively shoving my face into her large breasts.

"Can't, huff, breathe" I managed to say.

She released me from the hug, and I bounced backwards. I would've hit the ground if Toushiro had not been there to catch me.

"Thanks" I muttered, as he released my waist.

Matsumoto managed to stumble over to the couch, and shortly after, collapsed onto the cushions. She was knocked out within a matter of seconds.

"Useless woman" Toushiro mumbled. Walking back over to me, he gently took my arm. "Come on, you can sleep back at my room in the barracks."

I nodded and followed him out of the office. Making our way through the Seireitei's streets, I noticed how comfortable Toushiro was, how easy and normal every turn was. The look-alike buildings that reminded me of some kind of maze; Toushiro knew every street and building by heart.

It made me realize just another reason why Toushiro had to come back, this was his home.

We took a sudden sharp turn and came to a door. "Sorry, we need to make one small detour" Toushiro said. He knocked on the door.

Footsteps resounded from inside, and the door was gently pulled open by a small girl. "Shiro?" she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"I apologize for waking you so early Momo, but I'd like to ask a favor of you" he responded.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, now fully awake. Toushiro pulled me into her line of view. "Oh my, come in, please."

We entered her home quietly. She led us over to what appeared to be her small living room. We took a seat on the mats on her floor.

"Momo, this is Kuraitsuki Kyofu. She's… an old friend" he introduced.

I gave a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hinamori-san" I greeted, smiling.

"Same to you, Kyofu-san" she replied in a pleasant voice. "Now, what was it you needed, Shiro?"

"Ah, I was wondering if Kuraitsuki could use of your shihakusho" he said.

Hinamori nodded, "of course, just a second." She left the room, and then returned quickly with one of the standard robes in hand. "Here you go, Kyofu-san."

She handed it to me. Motioning for me to stand, she led me to a separate room where I changed from my kimono into the shihakusho. It fit rather well.

"Perfect" she sang.

Walking back to where Toushiro sat, I found it rather natural to be wearing the traditional uniform of shinigami. After noticing my return, the Squad Ten captain quickly rose from his seat, and after thanking Hinamori, we continued along to his living quarters.

Once we arrived, he showed me to an extra room. He had quite a large home compared to Hinamori, but I assumed that was because of his high rank.

"T-Thank you for your hospitality, especially after the scene I made earlier" I managed to stutter out.

"Of course" he replied, with one of those very rare Toushiro smiles. "I said that I'd make sure you weren't lonely anymore, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

Much to my surprise, I blushed. Flushed with embarrassment, I bowed, and then swiftly walked into my room. Clicking the door shut, my face evolved into a wide grin.

_Goodnight Toushiro._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the wondrous franchise titled Bleach.**

* * *

Chapter Five

I woke to find rays of sunlight streaking through the window, spotting my face with morning light. The room was warm, the sheets were soft; a sort of luxury I wasn't used to. With slight hesitation I rose from the bed, and yawned. Stretching out my limbs, I attempted to fix my bedhead. "Ah well" I muttered.

I exited the bedroom, only to find that Toushiro was no longer home. I made my way through a hallway, and ended up at his kitchen table. Pushing my long hair back and out of my line of sight absentmindedly, I glanced around the surrounding area.

I yawned once more, and took a seat on a mat at the traditional Japanese table. I tapped my fingers on the smooth wood in contemplation as to what I should do next. Then I heard a knock on the door.

I made my way through the quarters, finding my way to the entrance. Opening the door I was met with a grinning Rangiku Matsumoto. "Morning Kurai-chan!" she chimed. Stepping inside, she walked to the kitchen and set a bag on the table.

I followed her in and took a seat once more, the spirited strawberry sitting across from me. She opened up the bag and slid a tray of food to me. She proceeded to take out another tray for herself.

I watched her dig into the food with delight, and I followed, though at a slower pace than she did. I was about halfway done with the meal when Matsumoto abruptly blurted "so did you two sleep together?"

I spit out my food and looked at her incredulously. "W-What?" I asked, completely shocked and slightly horrified.

"Ya know" she continued, "When two people feel a lotta _passion_-"

"No! No! I know what you meant!" I cut her off. "I-I just… no, we didn't." My face was burning up, and I knew I probably looked like a tomato. "Why would you even… n-never mind."

I continued eating, though this time I stared down at my food in embarrassment. It didn't help that Matsumoto was snickering across from me. "So innocent", she whispered to herself.

Once we had finished eating our meal, the vice-captain stated that she had to leave, something about work (which I doubt was the actual reason). So she said her goodbyes, I thanked her for bringing the food, and she was off just as quickly as she came.

Alone once again, I sat idling by a window. I watched shinigami walk by, talking and laughing with their comrades. _Maybe I should join a squad_; I thought to myself, _I'm capable enough_.

Then I realized that I'd have to go to a training academy, which would mean being away from Toushiro even longer. I sighed and decided to not think about it anymore at the moment.

A couple minutes ticked by, and I was starting to get fidgety. _Maybe I should go see Toushiro._ The idea did sound appealing.

_But you'd probably just end up getting in the way,_ nagged my subconscious. I gave a small growl and decided to just go.

I pulled my hair back from my face, strapped on my zanpakuto, and left Toushiro's home. Finding my way back to Squad Ten wasn't quite as hard as I thought it would be. Before I knew it I was once again in front of the white-haired captain's office. I gave a small knock before entering.

Toushiro lifted his head as I walked in. "I got bored" I stated.

"Make yourself at home" he mumbled, he then resumed working on paperwork.

I grazed some of the bookshelves on the walls. There were a lot, but I wasn't much of a reader. Then again, I actually didn't know _how_ to read.

"You've got a lot of books" I said absent minded.

"Uh-huh" was his response.

I released a huff of air. I waltzed back toward the couch, and then continued to collapse onto the cushions.

"So bored" I mumbled into a pillow.

Toushiro sighed. "Would you like to help me?" he asked with a blank look on his face.

I hopped up from the couch. "Sure!" I chirped. I skipped over to his desk and looked over his shoulder at the piles of paper. "Oh yeah, I uh, can't read."

Toushiro looked up at me "would you like me to teach you?" he asked sincerely.

"Ah, no, it's fine. Looks like you've got a lot of work to do in the first place. I don't want to be a distraction" I replied, my face falling slightly.

"It's fine. Come on, let me teach you" he spoke gently, looking at me with those turquoise eyes. So I complied.

And that's how we spent the next couple of hours; he would point at a word and tell me what sound each symbol made. I'd crinkle my nose in concentration; try to read another line as he nodded to me in encouragement.

During some point in my lesson, I ended up sitting on his knee as he leaned over me and read. This kind of proximity was new, and sort of… pleasant.

When the sun began to set I felt myself getting drowsy. Without really realizing what I was doing, I had laid my head on Toushiro's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Her soft breathing and steady heartbeat were the only sounds in the room. After Kuraitsuki had fallen asleep, I continued with my paperwork. My left arm supported her body as she sat on my knee, her head on my chest. I wrote with my free hand as the small girl slept.

The world outside was already dark. Although she had only been here for a day, my life was already so much brighter. I suppose I never realized how lonely I truly was until she came along.

I'd never had a close friend before, besides Hinamori. But Momo was… she was more distant from me than she used to be. I think Momo still wanted things to happen between us, but we both knew it'd never work; but with Kuraitsuki, maybe…

"Captain!" shouted Matsumoto, entering the office. Much to my surprise, she wasn't drunk. Well, not yet anyway.

I looked up from my papers and glared at her. She instantly shut up. Luckily, Kuraitsuki was still soundly asleep.

"Sorry, Captain. I just wanted to drop in. Awe, Kurai-chan is so cute when she's asleep. You should probably get some rest too, Captain" she said.

My forehead twitched. "I wouldn't have so much work to do if you just did your portion" I spoke calmly, though a hidden menacing tone was present.

"Heh, well I've gotta go now" she said, a little panicked.

She turned away from the two shinigami. She waltzed back over to the door. While exiting the peaceful office she muttered, "Didn't sleep together, _my ass_."


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach**

* * *

Chapter Six

_The summer heat hit my cheeks, turning them a light shade of red. The trees around swayed softly in the warm morning air. I was young, very young. Back when things weren't so… complicated. I was happy._

_ Standing outside the small hut I had lived in all my life, I looked up at the sky. Clouds could make so many pretty shapes. Looking back down at my feet, I noticed a ball rolling through the grass in my direction. Smiling wide, I bent to pick it up. Rising, ball in hand, I grinned at the tall man across from me. It was the man with black hair, the man without eyes. He smiled too, though it wasn't quite as big as mine._

_ "Now toss it back, Kurai-chan" he encouraged. _

_ I nodded vigorously, concentrated, and then raising my small arms, I tossed it with all my might. It landed in front of him. It was so close, right there. If I only I was just a little stronger, maybe my actions could reach him. My heart dropped in disappointment._

_ He wasn't impressed. My face fell. And suddenly, out of nowhere, I was screaming as a pain spread throughout my body. It felt like tiny needles pricking the insides of my veins. It hurt so much. I shut my eyes as tightly as I could, and crouched low to the ground. The pain wouldn't stop._

_ When the pain was bearable enough to open my eyes, I looked to my reflection in a nearby puddle from the past days' rain. My previously silver eyes were a hollow gold. I screamed._

* * *

I woke up screaming, grasping my face in terror. I'd had nightmares before but that one was new. When I finally got a hold on myself, I looked up to find Toushiro rushing towards me.

His eyes roamed my body, searching for any sort of wound. "Sorry" I whispered.

He released a relieved sigh, and then sat down next to me on the office couch. _Office?_ I thought.

When I dozed off Toushiro must have placed me on the couch to sleep. Knowing him, he had probably been working all night.

I looked him in the eye. "What did you dream of?" he asked softly.

"I think" I started, "I think it was a memory."

He didn't ask anymore, he could tell I didn't really want to talk about it. So he gave me one last look, nodded, and walked back to his desk. I collapsed back on the cushions.

"Kurai-chan~" sang Matsumoto as she sauntered into the office.

"Matsumoto-san" I greeted, sitting up on the seat.

"Pfft, just call me Rangiku" she corrected. I gave her a nod. "So I was thinking" she put a finger to her chin in thought, "maybe you'd enjoy going drinking with me and some other squad members."

"Ah" I hesitated, and looked back at the white haired captain. "Toushiro?" I asked.

"Mmm" was his only response.

I released a puff of air. "I suppose I could try it, I mean, what could go wrong?"

* * *

I cackled and threw an arm around a very drunken Matsumoto. "You do this every night?" I slurred.

She nodded furiously. "You're craaazy" I drawled, followed by a giggle.

"Two more!" Matsumoto shouted to the bartender, waving her arm as high as it would go. She hiccupped, I laughed.

The world around me was beginning to spin, how many drinks had I had already? One, two, four… eight... what was I doing again?

"Oi Kuraitsuki!" shouted a man with dark tattoos and red hair.

"Who's that?" I asked Rangiku, trying to be inconspicuous but failing miserably.

"Ah, that's Renji" she answered, taking another shot.

"His hair looks like a pineapple." I hiccupped. I tried sliding off my stool to walk over to Renji, but I ended up falling off instead. "Owwie" I whined, rubbing my head.

Once I managed to pick myself up, I wobbled over to the vice-captain. But then the ground began to move, and suddenly there were two Renjis! Why was the world so confusing?

I finally made it to him. Grabbing a hold of his hair, I yanked down with all the force I could muster. Now that our heads were level, I looked him in the eye and said "Renji, you _suck_ at kido." And then I suddenly erupted in laughter.

He began laughing too, but after a few moments he replied "wait… what?"

Still laughing my ass off, I stumbled back to the bar, and shot down another drink. After that I left the building, and don't ask me how, or exactly why, but I managed to make it back to the Squad Ten Captain's office.

"Toushiro!" I yelled, slamming open the door. And then I collapsed. The floor was so cold and… hard. Why was the floor so hard?

Then I felt cool hands on my shoulders and waist, supporting me up off of the ground. I leaned on him, this person with cool hands, and then I rested my head on his shoulder. When he tried setting me on the couch, I clung to his arm.

"I don't wanna let go, Shiro" I whined, clinging like my life depended on it.

He sighed in exasperation. "I'm going to kill Matsumoto tomorrow" he muttered.

"Hey Toushiro" I said. He looked back in my direction. "You're so beautiful. Why are you so beautiful? You have such nice eyes, and hair. You have the best hair in the _whole_ Seireitei." I giggled at my own words.

And suddenly we were up and standing again. "Where are we going, Toushiro?" I sang as he dragged me out the door. My eyes roamed our surroundings lazily.

As we were walking I began to recognize the direction we were headed in, despite my drunken haze.

"We're going home. Why are we going home?" I asked.

"Because you need to rest" he replied.

And suddenly I began to sob. He hated me, he must've hated me. That's why he left me alone two years ago, he hated me. "Why don't you love me?" I sobbed.

"W-what?" he asked, completely shocked.

"Why can't you love me?! You're so beautiful, and yet you won't love me! Why? Is it because of Hinamori? Is that it? Am I not good enough?!" The young captain was starting to look very confused and slightly worried. "You were gone, 'cause you hate me, don't you? Why do you hate me? Why can't you love me? I just want you to love me!" I cried.

He looked rather uncomfortable with the subject; avoiding eye contact as much as possible. And while using a great amount of concentration, he managed to keep me upright. I'd be impressed if he noticed my next words. They flew out of my mouth in a drunken mutter. I barely even comprehended what I was saying; it'd be a miracle if I even remembered saying it the next morning.

In an almost non-existent tone, I whispered "'Cause I love you." Then I promptly passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach**

* * *

Chapter Seven

She glared at me with piercing silver eyes from across the table. I looked back with an equaled amount of ferocity. She crinkled her nose, her intense gaze failed to waver.

"It looks disgusting" she whispered, referring to the thick green drink in front of her on the kitchen table. Her eyes refused to leave mine in a challenging sort of manner.

"It will help with the hangover" I assured her. She didn't look convinced. "Drink it" I commanded.

She narrowed her eyes in irritation, and continued to stare at me for a few more moments. She began tapping her fingers on the smooth wood, she was stalling. I rolled my eyes, and then gestured to the thick drink. She blinked, and crinkled her nose in disgust. Then with a heavy sigh, she wrapped her slim fingers around the cup, raised it to her lips, and took a small sip. She swallowed, and then gagged.

"Are you trying to _kill_ me?!" she enunciated, wincing in disgust. "What is _in _that stuff? Gah, it must be toxic!"

"You're the one who agreed to go drinking with Matsumoto" I pointed out.

"And you're the one who didn't stop me!" she shouted back. She gritted her teeth.

I gave her a blank stare. "It's better to live and learn" I replied.

She ground her teeth and looked at me through narrowed eyes. Lifting the cup of that horrible tasting substance, she chugged the rest without even flinching. When she finished, she slammed the cup down and looked at me in defiance.

"I swear you must hate me" she groaned as the aftertaste kicked in.

"_Why do you hate me?" _Her words from the previous night echoed through my mind. _"'Cause I love you."_

I shut my eyes and winced. I had run through those words so many times already, and all my mind could comprehend was, _she was drunk_. It was as plain and simple as that. She probably didn't even remember half of what she did the night before, nevertheless what she said.

I opened my eyes once again to find her fiddling with the now empty cup. Her brows were crinkled in thought. "Is something on your mind?" I asked.

She looked up at me. "Ah, no, well, you see… I was just thinking, yesterday. I-I was thinking… would it be so bad if I joined a squad?" it sounded as if she was afraid to hear my answer.

Sure, I'd be slightly concerned considering how little experience she had with human contact, and don't get me started on how hard it was for her to control her power. But then again, isn't that what they teach shinigami in the academy? How to control yourself as well as your power, not to mention enhance your skills?

I looked down at my hands. I couldn't protect her from the outside world forever. Maybe this would be a good opportunity for her, unless something went wrong, of course. _But what exactly could go wrong? _My mind questioned.

"It's a nice idea, Kuraitsuki" I finally replied. She visibly perked up at my words. "But… let's wait a little longer for you to… adjust, before seriously considering it. Does that sound alright?"

She nodded. "Of course! Oh Toushiro, wouldn't it be so cool if I ended up in your squad? We could like, work together all the time! Wouldn't that be great?" she said with extra enthusiasm.

"Yeah" I responded quietly. "That'd be great."

* * *

Kuraitsuki sat on the couch reading a book, while I worked at my desk. We were currently in the Squad Ten office.

The small girl's eyes scanned over the pages and words with a new kind of excitement. Now that she knew how to read, that was all she ever did. It was fascinating how engrossed in the story she was. I almost let a smile slip.

_"I love you"_ a small voice, her voice, whispered in the back of my head. I looked down at my desk and released a small sigh. That phrase kept replaying over and over again, and yet I still didn't have a response. Was it true? If not, why did she say it? If it was… what would I do?

Finally my mind snapped back into reality. _You're a captain; you don't have time for some silly little romance_, my mind whispered to me. I frowned. Romance? Kurai was a friend, a good friend. But did she want something more? And for the millionth time that day I asked, _do _I _want something more?_

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a messenger came racing through the door. "Captain" she said, out of breath. "Menos, right outside of the Seireitei walls. We need help, and fast."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor ever shall, own Bleach.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

After receiving the news, we rushed through the maze of buildings, taking turn after turn around structures that all looked the same to me. Luckily, Toushiro led the way, making it possible for me to maneuver my way through.

"Can you sense them?" I asked, while flash stepping next to the Squad Ten Captain. My long hair was whipping around behind me, while parts of it continued to fly into my face as we turned.

"Yes" he replied, his brows furrowed, deep in thought. "Don't you find it odd that the Menos would be cable of pushing through the walls? It's almost as if the surrounding barrier had no effect."

I thought for a moment, recalling how simply I got through the barriers. "Maybe the barrier isn't as strong as you guys originally thought" I said, "It wasn't that hard for me to get through."

"I suppose" he said, but his face read otherwise. After that our conversation fell silent, but our pace didn't slow.

As we drew closer to the large demon-like creatures, I began to hear their chilling wails, along with the cries of multiple shinigami. "They're losing" I whispered. The situation neither sounded nor felt good. The battle grounds were emitting a strong reiatsu. These hollows were powerful.

Toushiro gritted his teeth and pulled out his zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru. I followed his lead and unsheathed Nisshoku.

By the time we made it to the battle field, Toushiro was in all-out battle mode. His face was blank, only showing his deep concentration. He quickly engaged in a fight along with some other troops from Squad Ten. He extended Hyorinmaru from his body, and then with a lightning-fast flash-step, he swiped. The menos' head was wiped clean off with that one strong maneuver. Its head fell as the giant beast released one last howl of pain. Toushiro proceeded toward another hollow, never hesitating in his endeavor.

I smirked, it was my turn. Jumping across the buildings, I found myself next to another attack squadron. A certain troop was swiftly approaching a menos, as his comrade was swiped away by the angered hollow. Gritting his teeth, the attacking shinigami raised his zanpakuto, but was immediately swiped away like another fly.

Thinking fast, I jumped towards the menos while his attention was momentarily occupied. Raising Nisshoku, I took a swipe below its neckline. It roared in rage. The menos' face began to glow red as cero formed on its mask. I raised my sword and hunched my shoulders in preparation for what was to come. The blast of red energy struck like a bolt of lightning. Striking it with my zanpakuto, the cero blast was instantly split in half, and the energy failed to touch me.

I grinned. Moving with as much speed as I could muster, I went for the disoriented menos once more. Upon reaching the large beast, I lowered my head and whispered "shikai." My blade extended and its shade darkened. The zanpakuto pulsed with a new kind of power. "Ankoku no yoru."

A cloud of black erupted from my zanpakuto, surrounding both myself and the menos. All of my surroundings went dark, but I could sense it. The hollow's existence flared up in front of me. I could feel its rising panic.

My shikai's dark shroud not only eliminated my enemy's vision, but diminished all of its other senses as well. It could not see me, smell me, hear me, or sense me. I was invisible; a shadow in the dark of night.

I took another slash at its side, then swooped around and took a swipe to its throat. When the menos' wails didn't stop, I went for the mask. Mustering much of my force, I brought my zanpakuto down on its head, immediately severing the mask and killing the large hollow.

As my black cloud began to diminish, I could see the body of the dead menos falling to the ground. When most of the mist was cleared, I turned around to find many different eyes on me. It appeared that many more attack squadrons, as well as captains had arrived while I was battling. The odds had increased tenfold, and most of the menos were already defeated.

I allowed myself to drop to the roof of one of the buildings. My eyes scanned the many groups of shinigami for the white-haired captain. I spotted him conversing with another white-haired man, though this man was seemingly older. "Toushiro!" I called, waving my arm to him.

He nodded his head in his direction, indicating that I join him. I nodded back and proceeded to flash-step across the rooftops toward him. Upon reaching the Squad Ten Captain, I spread out my arms and engulfed him in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're not hurt! You didn't sprain anything did you? You're alright, aren't you? Oh my, is that blood?" I cried, looking at the cut on his cheek.

"It was just a mild scrape with cero. Stop fretting, Kuraitsuki" he responded in annoyance, pushing me away slightly.

I heard a sudden chuckle behind us. "She's so cute, Hitsugaya-san" said the white-haired man.

Toushiro looked agitated. "_Captain_" he said, "It is _Captain_ Hitsugaya."

"Of course, of course." He apologized, bowing his head while smiling. His gaze shifted to mine. "But either way, where are my manners? I'm Juushiro Ukitake, captain of Squad Thirteen" he said with a grin. He extended his hand towards me.

I quickly shook it, and then looked down nervously. Raising my head, I remembered to introduce myself. "I'm, ah, I'm Kuraitsuki Kyofu. I-I'm not part of a squad but, ah-"

"We're working on her current position" Toushiro finished. I flashed him a look of gratitude.

"I'm surprised you've already managed to achieve and manage your shikai without attending the academy" Ukitake responded.

Truthfully, I'd already achieved both my shikai and bankai, though the latter was the farthest it could be from mastered. But it's not like the information was exactly relevant to the situation.

"There were… hollows, back where I used to live."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, Captain Hitsugaya, what were you saying about the barriers?"

"Oh yes, the outer Seireitei barriers seem to be malfunctioning, either that or there's something different about these menos. It's very odd that they could get in with such ease."

Ukitake nodded in agreement. "This might be something worth bringing to the attention of Yamamoto."

As the two fell into deeper conversation, my eyes wandered. I saw many injured shinigami, but thankfully none of them appeared to be dead. There was a lot of destruction from the cero and other various blasts in the battle. Many structures were destroyed. Since the event took place so close to the outer wall, many parts of it were broken, leaving weak spots along the outer points of the Seireitei. I began thinking about the frightening truth of it all. There was so much destruction from just one battle. I came to a conclusion that hollows with that much power were simply… monstrous.


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach**

* * *

Chapter Nine

"Oi, Captain. Where's Kurai-chan?" drawled Matsumoto, who was strolling beside me as I walked back to the Squad Ten designated living areas. My gaze slid towards the red-haired vice-captain.

"She's at home napping" I responded bluntly.

She giggled at my response. "It's so cute when you say 'home', Captain" she said with a smile.

"Why?" I asked, starting to get agitated.

"Because you say it like it's Kurai-chan's and your home" she responded.

"Well she _is_ living with me." The agitation was slowly increasing.

"It's just so cute. It sounds like you two are _lovers_" she sang. Okay, that set me off.

"Matsumoto are you drunk?" I asked, my forehead slightly twitching.

"Not yet" she replied slowly, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

"Then I advise you go find a bar. And _never_ take Kuraitsuki with you again" I said, eerily calm.

Her face went pale. _Bingo_. She opened her mouth, but apparently thought better of it. Anymore words could only make the situation worse. So with a nervous expression, she quickly scurried away.

I released a sigh of agitation once she left. My irritation began to fade as I approached our home. _Our?_ My mind questioned. I shook the thought out of my head, and then opened the door. The room was dark, and strangely quiet. Kuraitsuki usually greeted me when I got back. Suddenly, I heard scream from somewhere in the house.

Panic flared up inside me. "Kurai!" I shouted, running from the entryway to the hall. I slammed open the door to her bedroom. There she was, huddled on the floor, still screaming. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the mirror across from her.

"M-m-my eyes!" she shouted, pointing her finger at the mirror. She was visibly shaking. "They, they were g-gold. They were gold Toushiro!" she cried, finally looking at me. My eyes flickered over to the mirror, then back at her. I lowered myself to my knees.

Reaching out my arms, I gathered her into a hug as I rocked her small, shivering form. "…my e-eyes." She sobbed; the rest of the sentence was too muffled to hear. She buried her head into my chest as her tears continued to fall. I made soothing noises and held her even closer.

"It's okay. It's alright Kuraitsuki. Whatever you saw, it's over now. Nothing's going to hurt you" I whispered in her ear.

Over the course of the next few minutes her breathing began to steady, and her sobs were reduced to silence. Once she was finished crying, I stopped rocking her. But she didn't fight my embrace, and I didn't bother to let go.

"Was it a nightmare?" I asked quietly.

"No" she responded. "I swear Toushiro, it was real. I'm not insane."

"I believe you" I assured her, resting my chin on the top of her head. Her soft hair tickled my cheek as I released a sigh of relief. _She isn't hurt. _The room was once again lapsed into silence.

"How did the captains' meeting go?" she whispered, still grasping the front of my haori. She shifted her head slightly to look up at me.

I glanced down at her and replied, "The other captains share my suspicions about the outer barrier, but unfortunately we don't know enough information yet to take action on it. I suppose they're all waiting for some other disaster to happen before they finally get up off their asses."

"You really feel strongly about this" she observed.

"Of course" I replied, "people could get hurt because of a captain's mere ignorance."

"Are you going to take matters into your own hands?" she asked, looking me in the eye. Her gaze said it all, _I support any decision you decide to make_.

"No, not at the moment at least" I responded, releasing a sigh. Kuraitsuki laid her head back on my chest. "Yamamoto requested I remain for a few more minutes" I said.

"Oh? What was that conversation about?" she inquired.

"You" I replied.

She immediately sat up; she pursed her lips and looked at me nervously. Quietly she asked, "And?"

"And" I continued, "He said that as I long as I keep you under control, you can stay."

She gave me a wide grin. Without any warning, she hugged me with a great amount of force. I release an 'umph' of surprise. "You sure are happy" I said, the smallest of smiles playing on my lips.

"Of course! Now I don't have to leave and we can read and fight and stay together for as long as we want!" she piped with great enthusiasm.

I looked down at her in amusement. One minute she was screaming and sobbing, the next grinning like some sort of hyper-active idiot.

"Well then, if we're done here, I'm going to make some tea" I said, prying Kuraitsuki's arms off of my shoulders.

"Oh, I want chamomile!" she chirped, bouncing up from her sitting position. She followed me into the kitchen as I reached for the tea kettle.

As the water started to heat up, my mind drifted back to Kuraitsuki's outburst. She'd been having plenty of nightmares, but she never really wanted to talk about them. Every time she would brush them off like they didn't bother her. But I could tell, they were affecting not only her sleep but how she acted. She was scared, but of what?


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach**

**AN:** Sorry, this will be my last update for the next three weeks. Anyway, enjoy, I hope... maybe?

* * *

Chapter Ten

It had been a couple of days since my eyes had gone gold right before me. It had started off with a nightmare, or what I was starting to call 'memories'. They were horrible, and I dreamt of them almost every night. But I tried to stay sane, for Toushiro's and Matsumoto's sake.

It was currently a chilly afternoon, and I was lying on the couch, reading. My eyes scanned over the words, yet I failed to comprehend what was happening in the story. I tried to understand, I truly did, but my focus was lost long ago. My mind was otherwise occupied with reoccurring thoughts; swimming with fear and multiple doubts.

These thoughts were of the dreams, the _nightmares_, and they were slowly defining my life. I could sense it; the dreams were… becoming real. First they were merely images in my sleep, but then came the eyes. Soon enough I could feel a presence, with me, watching me. And it scared me to my core.

Toushiro could tell something was going on, I could see it in his worried expressions. Even as he sat working at his desk, his gaze continually drifted back to me. He was waiting for something to happen. Possibly another outburst; but that was all we could truly do, wait.

I sighed and tried to get back into the story I was reading, but nothing worked. Finally I decided it wasn't worth the effort if I couldn't get myself to focus. So I snapped the book shut in annoyance, and sat up. Turning to Toushiro, I said "I'm taking a walk."

"Don't get lost" he mumbled in response. But when our eyes met, his gaze said more, _if you can't handle it, come back_. I nodded.

Exiting the office, I wrapped a plain white scarf around my neck. Matsumoto had given it to me the other day. She said it worked well with my black hair and silver eyes. I had simply accepted the gift with a small bow.

It was snowing in the Seireitei; the weather had gotten colder and colder every day. I outstretched my hand, watching small snowflakes land in the center of my palm. _Cold_. How could something to small, so frail, so beautiful, be as chilling as ice? My mind instantly thought of Toushiro, and I gave a ghost of a smile.

Soon enough my hair was soaked from the snow, but I didn't really mind, I was used to wet weather. It had rained and snowed a lot back in the village. I wondered if it was snowing there too.

Waltzing down the streets I watched all the different shinigami walk by me. Some were running, while others went slower. I'd see groups of them pass by, talking and laughing. They seemed to be happy, and so carefree despite the severity of their jobs. They smiled, and I thought about how rarely I had smiled over the past few days.

_You shouldn't let these dreams define you, they're not real_, my mind said. "Oh, but they are" I whispered aloud.

I shivered as a cold breeze blew across my face, and I snuggled into the soft scarf, letting my radiating body heat engulf my numb cheeks. I sighed in content, but lifted my head when a strange feeling spread through my arm. And suddenly, my cheeks weren't the only things that were numb.

My right arm fell slack against my side. I couldn't feel it, couldn't move it. I had lost control over part of my body. _Frozen? _My mind questioned. No, this was different. Panic began to flare up in my chest. I thought about calling Toushiro, but my throat felt hoarse. I was frozen in fear as a raspy whisper sounded in my mind, _"he won't hear you."_

I gulped and tried to run, walk, or even move; but my whole body was rigid. I was no longer in control. I gritted my teeth in frustration, and with a great amount of force I managed to turn my head. Ever so slowly, I used my strength to move step by step back to the Squad Ten Office.

I finally managed to make it back after a few long minutes. Stumbling through the doorway, I collapsed against the frame. Toushiro's head snapped up from his work. Seeing me on the ground, wincing, he bolted up and made his way over.

"Are you okay? Were you attacked?" he asked, searching my body for wounds.

I gritted my teeth again, trying to stay in control of my mouth. "N-no… I'm, I'm" I paused and closed my eyes, "I'm not h-hurt" I managed to finish.

"You sound like you're in pain" he argued. He put his hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes; my gaze was met with that of turquoise. "Kuraitsuki…" he paused, "Your eyes, they're gold."

Another pang of fear flared up inside me. "T-Toushiro" I managed to spit out. "I… I can't…" Speaking took too much effort, and I was running out of time. "I can't… control m-my body" I finally finished.

His eyes went wide. But I never heard his response, or saw what he did next, because in that moment, my vision went black, and I lost all control.


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach.  
**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Kuraitsuki lifted her head slowly, but as she opened her golden eyes, I realized that this girl was no longer the sweet, carefree person I knew. Her gaze narrowed to slits as her eyes met mine. I froze, and before I knew it, she had flashed out the door.

I hissed in annoyance and lunged for Hyorinmaru. I didn't want to use my weapon, but I would if necessary. I sprinted out the door in pursuit, and then flash-stepped in the direction I saw her take off. To my disappointment, and quite frankly fear, there was no sign of her. She could have been anywhere in the Seireitei.

I concentrated and searched the air for her reiatsu. If she attacked someone or even released her zanpakuto, I would feel it. But then again, so would all of the other divisions. This was not a good situation.

Power flared up somewhere to my right, so I made a sharp turn in that direction. Her presence quickly died down once more, but in a matter of seconds the same feeling hit me like a wave. She was releasing spiritual energy in short bursts; it felt as if she was drawing someone in. This thing possessing Kuraitsuki was not here to make peace.

"Damn" I muttered, willing myself to move faster. I could feel her reiatsu growing stronger the closer I got, and soon enough below me I saw a trail of bodies. Clanging of swords sounded ahead.

When I finally saw her, I realized that I had reached her too late. Battling a possessed Kuraitsuki was none other than Byakuya Kuchiki.

* * *

It was night; the sky was an empty black. The only visible light: a small silver moon. The air was filled with a thick kind of silence that chilled me to the bone. _I've been here before, _I thought.

Suddenly, a woman emerged from the shadows. Half of her body remained engulfed in darkness, while the other half showed her tall, slender frame and long silvery hair. Her one red eye sparkled at me.

"Kuraitsuki" she spoke in her raspy voice.

"Nisshoku" I greeted. "Why did you summon me here?"

"It wasn't me" she replied, narrowing her eye.

"What do you mean? How else would I get here?" I asked in confusion. I looked around, and then shook my head. Gripping my hair I tried summoning my memories. Finally I remembered, and then I panicked. "I need to get back."

"No child. You are no longer in control" she said calmly. Her gaze left mine.

"No longer in control? You have to be kidding me! Who is it? Who's taken over? You can fight them, can't you?"

"No" was her solemn reply, "I take orders from you, but your authority has temporarily been revoked."

Silence followed her words. I looked up and met her gaze. "Can you show me what they've done with my body?"

Nisshoku lowered her eye, and suddenly we were standing on a large expanse of water. She gracefully bent down and touched the surface with one slim finger. The water rippled and shimmered, then an image began to emerge on the surface. I fixated my eyes on the scene below.

My body was currently engaged in battle with a man wearing a haori similar to Toushiro's. _A captain_, I pieced together. The captain swiftly dodged a swipe to his shoulder, and he flash-stepped behind my body. She swung around and aimed another blow, but he fluently dodged it yet again.

They continued their little dance for quite some time, neither landing a hit on the other. Finally the captain managed to get close enough to get a slice at her arm. He was aiming for her chest, but she side-stepped at the last second, and ended up with a minor cut to the upper arm. She hissed in annoyance and swung her zanpakuto at his head. He ducked.

I could tell she was getting frustrated, and her next words sent me in a panic.

She stopped and held out her zanpakuto, then whispered, "Bankai." She smirked as leathery wings sprouted from her back. Black horns rose from her head and curled skyward, then the zanpakuto lengthened into its shikai form.

"No!" I screamed, slamming my fist down onto the water. "She'll surely kill him!" I exclaimed, looking up at Nisshoku.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do" the spirit replied.

I stared down in horror. The captain could tell her power level had greatly increased, it had reached a very deadly level. His eyes widened as he prepared for the coming onslaught.

_This is very, very bad,_ my mind screamed. I never used my bankai, not even in the worst of situations. It caused too much destruction. And it was too hard to control. I stared down at the shimmering surface and prayed that someone could stop her in time.

I covered my mouth to hold back a cry as she advanced on the captain with an inhuman speed, her weapon piercing straight through his gut. The man looked at her in shock, before crumpling over. She pulled the sword out from his abdomen, and prepared for another blow.

"NO!" I cried. I mustered all of my strength and brought my fists down on the image, as I tried to break through the surface. I pounded and pounded, and she froze, her zanpakuto raised in midair. I gasped, and continued hitting with even greater force. Finally, I heard a crack. And then came another; and then I fell through the surface like it was broken glass.

* * *

I watched as Kuraitsuki stabbed Kuchiki, and his body fell against the blade. She withdrew the point. I watched with wide eyes as she raised her weapon for another attack, but suddenly she stopped. The surrounding shinigami gasped in surprise as her body shuddered.

Finding this a good opportunity to strike, a couple of shinigami rushed forward. Before I could do anything, there was already a slash to her back. Kuraitsuki fell back and dropped from the sky. I lunged forward and managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

I lowered us to the pavement, and I laid her down softly. She was bleeding heavily. "Matsumoto" I turned to my vice-captain who had caught up with me during the battle. "She needs medical attention."

"H-hai Captain" she replied, sprinting off.

"Kurai" I called, trying to wake her up. "Don't die on me."

By this time her wings and horns had broken off, as she was no longer in the form of her bankai. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her softly. The other shinigami watched in confusion, unsure whether or not to interrupt me.

"T-Toushiro" I heard her whisper from below. I looked down to find her looking at me, with half-lidded silver eyes.

"It's you" I whispered. "How-"

I was cut off as Kuraitsuki was lifted off of the ground by two members of Squad One. I looked up to find myself faced with the vice-captain of the first squad, Chojiro Sasakibe.

"Kuraitsuki Kyofu, you are under arrest by the orders of Captain Commander Yamamoto for attacking countless shinigami, as well as a captain. You will face trial for your actions." The vice-captain gave the signal for them to take her away.

"You can't just drag her away" I argued, "She's injured."

"So is Captain Kuchiki. Please, Captain Hitsugaya, move or we'll have to use force" he replied, his face masked of any emotion as he stared at me straight on.

Glaring daggers, I stepped away slowly and watched as they dragged her away.

"I'll get you out of there, Kurai. I promise" I shouted to her.

She looked back and gave me a sad smile. We both knew how empty that promise was.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: These early chapters are so short, haha. It's actually kind of funny reading over something that I wrote all the way back in January. Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to review, it means a lot to me. If you do, I promise I'll reply. On that note, thank you for reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach (obviously).**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

I sat in the dark cell, looking up at the crescent moon through the small, barred window. Its soft glow illuminated a single tear as it silently slipped down my cheek. I closed my eyes as my vision began to blur. I had dragged Toushiro into this, and now I wouldn't be the only one paying the price.

I rose to my feet, and winced at the sharp pain that flared up my back. A woman with a large frontal braid had come in earlier and wrapped me up, but all she could do was stop the bleeding. She was kind and gentle, unlike most of the other shinigami that had handled me. I was grateful.

I heard the whispers from the guards: they were holding an emergency captains' meeting. Toushiro was going to get punished for my mistakes, and there was nothing I could do about it. A strangled sob rose up my throat, but I willed myself to stay strong.

_He can't get you out of this, _whispered a voice in the back of my mind. I buried my face into my hands. _What have I done?_

* * *

The captains stood stoic in the large room, Yamamoto seated at the front. We were all accounted for, except for Squad Six's Captain Kuchiki that is. The lack of his presence almost seemed menacing.

"We will now discuss the punishment for the prisoner Kuraitsuki Kyofu" bellowed Yamamoto. His voice seemed to echo across the walls. Kurotsuchi spoke first.

"I say we conduct research on her" said the Squad Twelve Captain with a grin.

"Are you completely mad?" I spoke up. "She isn't some sort of mutant hollow, Kurotsuchi."

"Oh, but she is" he snickered. "Haven't you realized already, Captain Hitsugaya? Kyofu is nothing more than an experiment."

I looked at him in bewilderment as the room fell into silence. "It's true" said Kyoraku. The laidback Squad Eight captain looked at me apologetically. "Her power isn't human. It almost feels… demonic."

"Demonic?" I asked, rage beginning to well up inside me. "Does she look like a demon to you?"

No one uttered a word. And suddenly I realized just what I had said, _her bankai. She did look like a demon_. I instantly regretted my words.

"So what do you say?" Kurotsuchi asked, looking to Yamamoto.

The old man looked up. "A power like this is too dangerous, especially since she can't control it. I have ruled her punishment. Kuraitsuki Kyofu will be executed the evening of tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

I heard footsteps approaching my cell at a rapid pace. I looked up to find myself face to face with a rushed Toushiro. He bent down and kneeled in front of me. The only things between us were the cold cell's bars.

"How did it go?" I asked him quietly.

His face fell. "They've planned an execution. It will take place tomorrow."

I froze. _Tomorrow?_ _That's it? Just tomorrow until it's all over?_ "Toushiro" I started, looking down at my lap, "I'm so sorry for dragging you into this."

"Don't be" he said between gritted teeth. "And why do you sound so sad? They aren't going to get away with this."

I looked up at him in confusion. "What do you-" I started, but he cut me off.

"We're leaving" he stated.

"Sorry to break it to you Toushiro, but I'm kind of in jail" I said with a soft laugh.

He gave me one of those small, but extremely rare smiles. My heart fluttered. "Not for long" he replied.

I was about to ask him what he was planning but he suddenly said, "duck," and I damn well listened.

I lowered my body and shielded my head with my arms. I heard him recite a form of kido, and I felt an explosion shake the ground beneath me. My hair was whipped around my face as a fierce wind from the explosion blew over. When I looked up, the cell bars were shattered.

"How did you-" I started.

"No time, we have to go." He grabbed my hand, then lifted me up and held me bridal style.

"So you remembered my injury" I said with a smirk.

"Of course" he replied.

"So where are we going?" I asked as he blasted another hole through the wall.

"We're headed to the human world."

"Cool, 'cause the food here _sucks_." I heard him give a light chuckle, and I laughed wholeheartedly. "The human world it is."

_End of Part One_


	13. First Intermission

**AN: The first chapter of Part Two will be posted shortly. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach, unfortunately... **

* * *

First Intermission

_Captain Kyoraku lay on the roof of the Squad Eight headquarters, staring up at the dark night sky. He released a sigh; footsteps sounded to his right. He lifted his head to look at the approaching visitor. "What is it, Nanao-chan?" he asked as his gaze slid back to the empty sky above._

_ "It's Captain Hitsugaya, sir. He's taken the prisoner. Should we stop them?" she asked, worry lacing her voice._

_ "Tell me, Nanao, have you ever been in love?" he replied in a relaxed tone._

_ "N-no sir" she stuttered. She tried to figure out how this topic was even the least bit relevant. _

_ "Well, it's a beautiful thing that should never be disrupted. Remember that, Nanao."_

_ "Of course, sir" she replied; she began to get irritated with her lazy captain's lack of care toward the situation. "But what are we to do about this predicament?"_

_ He waited a moment before replying. Finally, he spoke. "Leave them be."_

_ "Are you sure?" she asked in disbelief._

_ He nodded. "Let young Hitsugaya do as he pleases." The next words were addressed more to himself rather than anyone else, "Toushiro, what the hell are you up to?"_

* * *

_A certain white-haired captain flashed-stepped along the rooftops of the Seireitei; he held a small girl in his arms. They were quickly approaching the Gotei Thirteen's outer walls when a voice rang out from behind them._

_ "Captain!" hollered a woman with long ginger hair._

_ The captain came to slow stop, immediately recognizing the voice. As he turned around his teal eyes met the gaze of his vice-captain, Rangiku Matsumoto. _

_ "Matsumoto" he greeted wearily, "what are you doing here?"_

_ "I could ask you the same" she said, flash-stepping towards the pair. "Naughty captain" she said with a giggle. But her expression quickly grew serious. "You're leaving again, aren't you?"_

_ "Yes" he responded without hesitation. He paused. "Matsumoto, please take care of the squad while I'm away."_

_ "Hai, captain" she said with a sad smile. "I'll be rooting for you, no matter what."_

_ He nodded in understanding. He then flashed a look that read _thank you_._

_ The vice-captain understood, and she didn't doubt his sincerity in the least. With a solemn look, she watched the two turn around and disappear. Though she knew they couldn't see, she gave a small wave. "I'll be waiting for you captain," she whispered, "for as long as it takes."_


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: Reviews are very much appreciated :3 That aside, thank you for reading.**

**DISCLAIMER: ... Still don't own Bleach**

* * *

Part Two

-A Mirrored Fate- 

Chapter Thirteen 

"_Ah, if it isn't my great friend Toushiro Hitsugaya. What brings you to Karakura?" cackled Kisuke Urahara._

_ "Cut the crap. You know what's going on" he said with a cold look. "Now just tell me the cost for two gigais."_

_ Urahara's face fell, resuming a serious expression. "What are you trying to accomplish by running, Hitsugaya?" he asked._

_ "I'm merely keeping her alive" the young shinigami said._

_ "And by her, you mean Kyofu-san?" he responded, leaning forward. "Where is the girl, by the way?"_

_ "She's outside, waiting. So if we could just hurry this along, I'd rather her not get attacked by a hollow while I'm away. She tends to find trouble quite easily."_

_ The older man chuckled. "Hai, hai." He rose to his feet, "although, Hitsugaya-san, you can't hide forever."_

_ "I know" he answered, "but it'll have to do for now."_

* * *

Soft snowflakes glittered as they fell onto my hair, which was spread across the frozen ground. They melted as they landed on my face, despite how cold my cheeks were. I exhaled, and looked up to the white sky above. Suddenly, there was a pair of turquoise eyes blocking my view.

"What are you doing?" asked Toushiro. I raised my head to meet his gaze. The wind whipped his hair back, snow making it glisten. I smiled.

"I'm contemplating the meaning to life" I replied with a laugh.

He rolled his eyes and ruffled my hair. I grinned and rose to my feet.

"Foolish girl" he whispered, removing his scarf. He took a step in my direction, and then gently wrapped the soft material around my neck. "You'll catch a cold."

I blushed as his fingers grazed my skin. The small contact made me shiver. I looked away, and stared at the frozen canal below us.

"What do humans call this time of year?" I asked in wonder.

"December" he replied, putting his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans.

"Pretty" I muttered. "Hey Toushiro," I said, turning back to look at him. "How long have we been here?"

He thought for a moment, and then replied "three weeks."

"Three weeks" I echoed. I closed my eyes as the wind picked up. The bitter air bit at my cheeks. I snuggled into Toushiro's scarf. "Feels more like three years."

"Are you bored with hiding, Kuraitsuki?" the young male mused.

"Hmm" I hummed. "Why can't we just like, fight them and get it over with?"

"Are you serious?" he asked, completely dumbfounded. "You want to go up against thirteen squads, including their captains?"

I put my finger to my chin in thought.

"Are you really thinking about this?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Well you're on my side, right?" I said, turning to him.

He released a sigh of exasperation. "You do realize, there's only one of me, right?"

"We could take 'em" I said smiling.

"Hai, but let's take the safer route for now, okay?" he reasoned, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Fine, but I still think we could win."

Toushiro's mouth twitched up in the beginning of a smile. "That matter aside, you need to get to work."

I gave him a pout.

When we first arrived in the human world, Toushiro had some money in an account from his previous visits. We used that to buy a small apartment, and though we still had money left over, we knew it wouldn't last long. So with slight hesitance on his part, I got a job at a small diner a couple blocks away from our place.

We approached the brightly lit building, and I waved goodbye as Toushiro turned to leave. Every day he would drop me off, and pick me up. I marked it off as overprotective. Many people might find the behavior smothering, but for me it was more reassuring than anything else.

When I entered the diner, warm air hit me like a wave. I shed a few layers and made my way to the employee lounge to change into my uniform. Humming to myself quietly, I picked up a pot of coffee and made my rounds to a few tables. Turning around, I slammed into something tall and hard.

I fell to the floor, and hot coffee splashed across me. "Ow" I muttered, wincing from the burning beverage.

"I'm so sorry" spoke the wall that had previously run into me. He outstretched a hand to help me. I grabbed it, and I was hauled up off the floor. "Wow, you're light" he said. I looked up to find myself face to face with one hell of a cocky grin.

I glared at him. "Why are you smiling, strawberry?" I asked, referring to his bright orange hair.

"N-no reason" he stuttered. He smirked, "Ichigo Kurosaki" he said with an outstretched hand.

I left it hanging. "I wouldn't be smiling if I were you, _Ichigo_."

"And why's that?" he asked, his grin never fell.

"When my friend sees these burns, you are _so _dead" I replied with a laugh.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh yeah? I'd love to see that" he whispered, bending down to look me in the eye.

I crossed my arms and smirked. "Take a seat Kurosaki; you'll get what's coming to you."


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: First of all, I hate excuses, but my absence actually is justified this time. Although conditions have been complicated, I apologize for taking so long. Because these early chapters are so short, and I've been gone for awhile, I'm posting two chapters today. I promise, now that everything's settling down in my life, I'll post more often. Thank you for bearing with me, as well as reading.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

When my shift neared its end, I glanced at one of the booths where a stupid red-head sat smirking at me. I growled and bit my lip. _Toushiro better beat the crap out of this kid_.

"Your boyfriend's here, Kyofu-san" sang one of my coworkers. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I whined in annoyance. She giggled and walked away.

I sighed and watched Toushiro walk into the diner. I was about to wave at him when he glanced in another direction. Something appeared to have caught his eye. Suddenly he was walking toward the cocky guy who had previously bumped into me. I gaped in shock.

The clock stroked seven, signaling the end of my shift. I removed the apron and stalked toward Toushiro.

"If it isn't the shorty herself" called Kurosaki. I gritted my teeth and stood next to Toushiro.

"Shut up, strawberry."

He cackled and leaned back in his seat. Looking back at Toushiro he said, "That's quite the girl you've got there."

I growled. "Easy Kuraitsuki" said the captain of the Tenth as he set a hand on my shoulder. "And stop provoking her, Kurosaki."

He snickered. "Sure."

"Wait" I cut in, glancing between the two of them. "How do you two know each other?"

"Kurosaki is a substitute shinigami" replied Toushiro.

Said shinigami raised his head and gave a nod. "Oh, just a substitute?" I mocked, glaring down at him.

"Sure. I can't imagine you're in the position to boast though" Ichigo shot back, sitting up straighter.

"Can the both of you just shut up?" Toushiro asked, irritated at our docile argument. "And why are you fighting in the first place?" He looked back and forth at our identical scowls.

"He spilled coffee on me."

"You spilled coffee on her?" Toushiro interjected in both surprise and agitation.

"She wasn't watching where she was going."

"Says the giant who came at me full force."

"I apologized!"

"Then you smirked!"

"People smirk all the time!"

"Not in that context!"

We paused a moment, my arms crossed and his lips pulled together in a tight line. He blinked, suddenly in thought for a moment before turning to Toushiro. "Wait, are you posted here on assignment?"

The white haired captain glanced away and replied, "No. It's... complicated."

I stood in silence for a moment._So that's what I __am__ to him? Simply "complicated"_? At this point neither were paying attention, so I turned around and began making my way out the door. Reaching the exit I called back, "I'm going home" and promptly slammed the door behind me.

* * *

I was curled up inside a blanket on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV. The human world had so many cool things. There were ovens and cars and refrigerators and streetlamps and music players. The amount of technology was infinite!

I heard the door open softly, but I didn't bother to look up. I buried myself deeper into the cushions and fabric. I began to wonder if Toushiro wouldn't notice me. Maybe if I curled into myself enough, there'd be nothing left and I'd just cease to exist.

"Kuraitsuki" he said softly from above. I closed my eyes and held the blanket tighter. "I know you're awake."

I didn't say a word.

Toushiro sighed and sat down at the other end of the couch. "Why are you angry?" he asked, keeping a safe distance.

I gritted my teeth. "C'mon Kurai" he coaxed.

Giving in, I whipped my head up. "He's so mean and cocky! Why are you friends with him? You should've beaten him up! He had the nerve to smirk at me! I mean, are you kidding me? After he ran into me and I spilt coffee and everything! And what do you mean 'complicated'? Does that even qualify as an explanation-"

My words were cut off as I heard a light chuckle across from me. I turned and gazed in awe. Toushiro was actually, truly laughing! My mouth was wide open; I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

When he finished he looked at me in amusement. "You're mad because of _Kurosaki?_" he asked.

"Y-yeah?" I stuttered in reply.

He had a small smile on his face. "He's just messing with you, Kuraitsuki."

My face flared up with heat. Grabbing the nearest pillow, I whacked Toushiro on the head. We both looked at each other in shock at my sudden action.

"Wait, I didn't, I mean-" my statement was interrupted as a pillow hit my face. He looked at me, and then smirked. I grinned and began to laugh. I laughed so hard I fell off the couch. Clutching my stomach, I wiped away the slightest trace of tears from my eyes. Managing to gain some sort of composure, I looked back up to find Toushiro holding another pillow.

I squealed and jumped to my feet. I sprinted into the kitchen. A pillow flew past my head. Squeaking in surprise, I bent down and grabbed it. Turning around I held the cushion to my face in defense. I ran and made my way back to the couch. Then I was gasping in surprise as I was suddenly tackled onto the piece of furniture. By then I was laughing hysterically. Completely out of breath, I looked up. My black hair slightly obscured my vision as it was softly draped across my face.

Toushiro was still above me, looking down in slight awe. "What?" I whispered. He shook his head and rose to his feet.

"Nothing" he replied. I tilted my head in question, but quickly shook it off.

"Do you want to go get some food?" I asked, approaching him.

"Sure" he quickly replied.

As I put on my coat, the same question kept playing though my head. _What was with that look?_


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing (maybe, possibly, hopefully? X3)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach, nor will I ever... *forlorn sigh***

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

In the days that followed, Kurosaki was constantly dropping by. As to where he got our address, I would never know. Kuraitsuki said he probably trailed her after work. That explanation only managed to creep me out even more.

I opened the front door to find Kuraitsuki sitting on the couch, game console in hand. She was staring intensely at the screen, biting her lip in concentration.

"Hey Toushiro!" shouted Ichigo, who was playing beside her.

"Damn. Just when I thought I had gotten rid of you for the day" I said with a sigh.

He gave a humorless chuckle, and then proceeded to whack at the console's buttons. He shouted at the screen, then stood up and pointed at the TV. "I told you this rifle would work better, didn't I Kurai?" he said, slapping her on the back.

She glared up at him and muttered "stupid strawberry."

They continued their little game for another hour. I couldn't quite grasp the reasoning behind wanting to kill fictional characters when they faced deadly hollows almost every day. But after much thought, I decided to give up. Who knows what goes on in the heads of those two?

Suddenly I heard Kuraitsuki shout a word that started with an 'f' and ended an 'uck'. I whipped around in shock.

"Kuraitsuki, where did you learn that word?" I asked her.

She looked at me innocently. "Ichigo says it when he gets mad. Why, what's wrong?"

"Just" I pinched the bridge of my nose, "don't say that, okay? It's a bad word."

She gaped at me. "I'm sorry."

"And you" I said, glaring at Kurosaki. "Don't go saying stuff like that. It's a bad influence."

The red-head scoffed at me. "C'mon Toushiro. You sound like her parent. Loosen up a bit."

"Loosen up?" I echoed. "You're corrupting her."

Ichigo dropped the game console and walked closer. "Corrupting her? She's not a kid. She's already-" he paused, "Kuraitsuki how old are you?"

"Um" she began counting on her fingers. Brows knit in concentration, she replied "eighty… three?"

"See? Eighty-three" said Ichigo with a wide grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, she isn't a kid. Just take it easy on the cuss words."

"Aye sir" he replied with a mock salute.

Kuraitsuki chuckled and looked at me with a smile. My expression softened slightly.

I moved back towards the kitchen counter and grabbed a book. I left the living room and made my way to my bedroom to read. Clicking the door shut, I sighed in relief at the peaceful silence.

* * *

Bright red words flashed across the screen: YOU ARE DEAD. I scowled and threw the controller down. I crossed my arms and watched Ichigo do a small victory dance.

My gaze slid to the clock on the opposite wall. I took a double take when I saw the time. "Holy- I gotta get to work."

Springing from my seat, I dashed to the door, picking up a coat on the way.

"Hey" shouted Ichigo.

"Sorry, I really have to go. Tell Toushiro where I went if he asks" I rushed.

He sighed. "Fine, but you owe me" he said with a scowl.

"Sure, sure" I quickly replied, stealing Toushiro's scarf and wrapping it around my neck.

"You better not be lying to me" Ichigo called as I opened the door.

"Of course not!" I shouted, shutting the door behind me.

"Damn her" muttered Ichigo.

* * *

The diner smelled like coffee and old leather seats as I casually waited tables. The place was overly warm as usual, and idle chatter was like a soft melody in the background. Pulling out a pen and a pad of paper, I approached a booth where a young woman was seated.

"And what will you be getting this evening, Miss-?"

"Okami" she finished for me.

I looked up from my pad of paper. Silver eyes met deep black. I gulped as her gaze narrowed.

"T-that's a rare name" I said, trying to regain my composure.

She nodded her head, whipping her unevenly cut, short blonde hair. "It is."

"So?" I coaxed.

"Ah, right" she muttered, looking down at the menu. She chuckled and closed the menu once again, gracefully setting it down on the table. "I think I'll have your handsome Hitsugaya."

"E-excuse me?" I asked with exasperation. This girl was really starting to freak me out, and there was something about her that really gave me the chills.

She broke out in laughter. "Kidding, kidding" she said, waving her hand at me. "You're such an uptight person." She set her hand on my shoulder.

Gasping at the contact, I slapped her hand away. "Please order or get the hell out of here."

Looking at me quizzically, she gave a curt nod. "Sure" she said, a sickly wide grin forming on her face. "But don't forget me so easily, 'kay Nee-chan?" With that she gave a laugh, and exited the building.


	17. Chapter 16

**AN: Yo fanfic people! Ah, I just have one thing to say, and that is that sophomore year is already freaking hard. Lol. But it's okay, I'll manage. So yeah, thanks for reading. Reviews are always appreciated :3**

**DISCLAIMER: I *sighs* do not own Bleach**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The sky was dark; the moon blocked by gray clouds that hovered just above the town's scattered buildings. The air around was bitter and cold, but in a way, it made me feel alive. I exhaled and watched my breath fog around me as the gentle wind bit at my cheeks.

Strolling down the side walk with hands in the pockets of my black jeans, I approached the diner that Kuraitsuki worked at. The open sign flickered lazily as the soft yellow glow of the diner's lights spilled through its windows. I leisurely reached my hand out for the door, knowing she had at least ten minutes left of her shift, when it swung open and nearly whacked my arm off.

"Oi!" I shouted to the short figure who was exiting the building. She was gazing straight forward, and well unaware of my existence. Then I noticed the long black hair. "Kurai, watch where you swing that thing!" I yelled, attempting to get her attention.

Her eyes slowly slid over to me. "Huh?" she mumbled, finally noticing me standing there. "Oh, sorry Toushiro. Guess I'm kind of dazed at the moment."

_No kidding,_ I thought. "Don't you still have a couple of minutes left?" I asked, falling into step with her.

"Ah, the girls told me to go home early. I sort of spilled some coffee one too many times" she replied sheepishly. She lowered her head and looked at her feet.

I sighed. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much" she said softly.

I scoffed at her response. "It's obviously _something_" I said, coaxing her to reply.

She hesitated, and then stopped in her tracks. "There was… a girl earlier. She kind of startled me I suppose" she said, looking straight ahead in thought. Something flashed beyond her gaze, an emotion she refused to openly express.

I opened my mouth to question what she meant, when a roar sounded in the street beside us. Our heads snapped up in unison as a hollow came stomping toward the sidewalk. _How did I not feel its reiatsu before this?_ I asked myself.

Kuraitsuki acted quickly. Narrowing her eyes at the monster, she hurriedly jumped and swung her body into my arms, and popped a pill in her mouth mid-jump. As her spirit separated from the gigai she said, "Watch this for me, will you?"

I sighed as she took off, leaving me to hold the damn gigai. "Of course" I muttered.

The swift girl pulled out her zanpakuto, and then dashed towards the hollow. She launched herself off of the ground, and slashed the hollow's mask in half with a graceful arc of her sword. She landed softly on the pavement as the large beast dissipated into nothing.

Just as its spiritual pressure died, something else in the air spiked. "Kurai, to your left!" I shouted, indicating to the oncoming hollow.

She whipped around, but a bit too late. My eyes widened as time seemed to slow. She grasped for Nisshoku in a panicked dash, and then tried raising it into a defensive position. The hollow's clawed hand lowered a split second faster than Kuraitsuki. I could see the impact that was bound to come, when suddenly, a flash of black and orange appeared out of nowhere.

The hollow's arm was quickly severed, and the streak of black continued forward and cleanly sliced its mask in half. I exhaled in relief.

The orange-haired shinigami slowly landed, and sheathed his weapon. He turned to Kuraitsuki.

"Stupid strawberry! I could have handled that thing by myself!" she shouted, hitting Ichigo on the head with her now sheathed zanpakuto.

"Are you kidding me? I just saved your sorry ass!" he yelled back. He leaned down and glared at her. She gritted her teeth.

"I didn't ask for your help!"

"You damn well needed it!"

"It was a weak hollow!"

"A weak hollow that was about to slice you open!"

"Strawberry!"

"Shorty!"

"Idiot!"

"Freak show!"

"Good-for-nothing-hollow-stealing-knuckle-head!"

By this time they were both visibly steaming with rage. Ichigo's forehead was touching Kuraitsuki's as they heatedly glared daggers at each other.

"If you two are done bickering" I interrupted, with an icy calmness, "I'd like to leave now." I motioned at the gigai which was slumped lifelessly in my arms.

Kuraitsuki opened her mouth in protest, but obviously thought better of it and shut it once again. She crossed her small arms in annoyance.

"Okay then, let's go Kurai." I was about to turn and begin walking away when I heard a loud thump.

Kuraitsuki had whacked Kurosaki in the head with the hilt of her zanpakuto, effectively knocking him unconscious. She gasped and looked down at him. She turned and glanced at me with slight concern, "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"That idiot will be just fine. Now let's go, I'm hungry."

"Hai~" she said, scampering after me as her previous worries were long forgotten. She reentered her gigai, and swung her body out of my arms. I relaxed my shoulders as the weight was removed.

Kuraitsuki grinned up at me and intertwined her hand with mine. "Killing hollows sure does put you in a good mood" I observed.

She laughed. "Yeah, that and the thought of food. I haven't eaten for like, two hours!" she exclaimed, swinging our arms back and forth in a childish manner. She began to hum an unknown tune as we walked to one of the many restaurants around this part of town.

"Hey Toushiro" she said, "Do you know anyone named Okami?"

I thought for a second. "No, I don't think so, why?"

"No reason" she muttered, "I was just… curious."

"Hmm, okay" I said quietly. _That was an odd question_, I thought. As we entered the small eatery, I decided to shake it off. _No use worrying over nothing, at least not now anyway_, I thought. Too bad this _nothing_ turned into something much greater than I could ever imagine.


	18. Chapter 17

**AN: Oh gosh, sorry about my laziness. School is becoming very... troublesome, in more than one aspect. I hope this chapter makes up for it, and thanks for reading! Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go hide under a pile of pillows.**

**DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't own Bleach. The story line would be quite different if I did, though...**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

I yawned and stretched my arms tiredly, then continued forward while patting down my tangled dark hair. Entering the living room, I flopped down on the couch and flicked on the TV. Murmured voices on the television droned on, though I was too tired to bother with what they were saying. I craned my head to look back at the clock, seven forty-five. I groaned.

The nightmares hadn't necessarily come back, but the small interaction I had with the woman Okami stirred something up inside me, and began to alter my sleep. I started having flashbacks from my childhood, though the memories were nothing new. But because of the lack of safety where I lived, the memories were hardly pleasant.

I was shaken from my thoughts when Toushiro walked into the kitchen. He pulled out a kettle in preparation to make tea. I watched as the steam slowly rose up from the boiling water.

"Hey Toushiro," I said, "Do you know what today is?"

"Saturday?" he replied, pouring the hot water into a cup.

"I mean, like, besides that."

"It's the twentieth, why?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"Are you kidding me? How can you not remember?" I asked in exasperation.

"Is there something important about this particular day?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Oh my- Toushiro it's your birthday!" I yelled at him, springing up from the couch. "How could you not remember?"

He shrugged. "I've never been bothered to celebrate it."

I twirled my hair while thinking. "Ichigo says birthdays are huge celebrations in the human world. We should go do something!"

"No Kuraitsuki, it's fine" he quickly replied.

"Pleeeeaaaaaaase Toushiro" I begged, clasping my hands together to further my point.

He sighed in annoyance at my childish behavior. Leaning back against the counter he rolled his eyes and replied "Fine, do as you wish."

"Yes!" I shouted, running over to give him a hug.

He stretched out his left hand in warning, protecting the tea from spilling and glass flying everywhere.

"Oh, yeah, the cup" I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck and grinning sheepishly. Straightening my posture, I started to think of what we could do. Then it hit me.

"Oh! Toushiro! We should get cake! People always eat cake on birthdays! Have you ever had cake? I haven't. Do you think Ichigo's had cake? Of course he has. I know! We could invite Ichigo!"

Toushiro's face twisted into that of horror. "Oh Kami, no" he muttered.

"Oh come on Toushiro, it'll be fun!" I exclaimed, grabbing his hand. As I began dragging him to the door, he set the tea cup down in the nick of time.

"I don't even like sweets" Toushiro mumbled as the door shut with a resounding 'click.'

* * *

Ichigo said he'd meet us at a nearby café. He claimed it had, and I quote, _"the best damn cake in Karakura."_ So we, or should I say _I _agreed.

"Kuraitsuki, how did you find out when my birthday was in the first place?" Toushiro asked, turning to look at me as we walked.

"Rangiku-san told me before we left" I answered with a smile.

"And how the hell did Matsumoto find out?"

"Hinamori-san."

His forehead twitched in annoyance. "I see."

I lightly laughed, and then raced ahead before he could get mad at my laughter. Sprinting the short distance, I arrived at the front of the café. Ichigo was standing right outside waiting for us.

"Oi, strawberry!" I shouted, drawing his attention. His gaze moved down, and then landed on me.

"You're late" he said with a chuckle. I whacked him on the head. "What the hell?!" he yelled in annoyance. "You did that the other night, too! Left me to lie in the middle of the street you little brat!" he said, hitting the top of my head.

"Pedophile!" I screamed, drawing the attention of every human passing by. They looked at Ichigo in shock. His mouth went agape.

"Shut up you moron!" he whisper-yelled into my ear as he placed a hand over my mouth. "She's kidding" he said nervously, looking up.

Most everyone automatically carried on, but a few people gave him suspicious looks. Though it took a minute or two of Ichigo's panicked, yet reassuring smiles, they eventually decided to walk away. Ichigo released his hand from my mouth and sighed in relief. I kicked him in the shin.

"That's for grabbing me" I told him smugly.

"Why you little-" but his statement was interrupted when we heard Toushiro clear his throat.

"If you two are finished," he prompted. I nodded vigorously and grabbed Toushiro's arm. As we walked into the café I turned my head to look at Ichigo. I stuck out my tongue and mouthed 'baka.'

I swear his eye twitched.

* * *

I stretched my arms as the three of us exited the darkly painted building. We ended up staying much longer than planned. It started off with cake, then came the cake _flinging_, and after that we were threatened to be kicked out. So Ichigo, being the moron that he is, threw the pastry at the manager.

With the little dignity that we had left, Kurosaki managed to convince me to go to a bar, which I dragged Toushiro to as well. It was fun, until I reached my third drink, and then Toushiro had to cut me off.

When we emerged into the night air a couple hours later, the sun had already gone down and the streets were paved with ice. The sidewalk was no different, so I had to try my best not to fall flat on my face.

"Well, this has been fun and all, but Yuzu will kick my ass if I don't get home soon" said a slightly drunken, but still somewhat sober Ichigo.

I nodded and waved goodbye as he turned to leave. When the strawberry was finally out of sight, I took a deep breath and began running to catch up to Toushiro. But with the grace of a drunken elephant, I went sliding across the ice.

"T-To-Toushiro!" I yelped, waving my arms around in attempt to regain my balance, though my attempts were to no avail.

He quickly turned around at the sound of my cries for help, and he managed to catch me before I went tumbling. Grabbing his arms tight, I hit his chest with a 'thump.'

My eyes had been closed shut in fear of falling, so when I finally opened them I was shocked to see our faces so close together. I could tell I was slightly intoxicated; I could feel the alcohol rushing through my bloodstream. Yet, when I saw his eyes, I swear my thoughts were as clear as day. My breath hitched. We both just stared, unsure of what to do next. But then my mind snapped, and made a decision that surprised us both. I leaned forward, and I kissed him.


	19. Chapter 18

**AN: Gyeh, I don't wanna do schoolwork tomorrow. Oh well, life goes on. Thanks for reading, and reviews are deeply appreciated.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, nor will I ever T-T**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

My eyes went wide as her lips met mine. I could taste the alcohol on her breath, and feel the softness of her mouth. But for those lingering five seconds, I didn't move an inch. I was too shocked, too unsure of how to go about the situation, that when I felt her lips slowly leave, I almost wish I had done _something_. Because anything would have been better than that look of confusion that was quickly spreading across her face.

As she lowered herself, and stood flat on her heels, she slowly pushed her body away from mine. Kuraitsuki's eyes flashed with guilt. Then she bit her lip and turned away.

"Kurai-" I started, but she cut me off.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in a blank tone of voice.

I reached out to touch her, but she was already walking away. "I…" she began, "I'm going to take a walk. I'll meet you back at home, ne Toushiro?"

I wish I had said something, or at least stopped her, but all I could do was watch in silence as she slowly slipped away.

* * *

I wasn't crying. No, of course not; why would I cry over something as simple as a kiss? I told myself I wasn't crying, but when I closed my eyes, a tear softly rolled down my cheek. _Pathetic_.

I continued to walk in no particular direction, and with no real destination in mind. That's how I spent the next hour of my evening: walking and thinking.

It was a rash decision, a desperate decision, and it hurt. It wasn't exactly the fact that Toushiro didn't kiss back, it was because he didn't do anything. If he had pushed me away, at least I would've been aware of his feelings. But this situation, it left me completely and utterly clueless.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. _What kind of situation have I gotten myself into?_ I asked silently. Opening my eyes once again, I looked around. I blinked in confusion at my surroundings, and then realized I had no idea where I was.

A cold breeze blew across my face, leaving me shivering. _Maybe I can ask for directions?_ I thought. But I quickly realized there wasn't another soul outside, and every shop light seemed to be off. _Just my luck_.

Just as I was about to turn around and attempt to backtrack, I heard snickering from behind me. My blood turned to ice. Slowly turning my head, my assumption was correct. The one person in the world who I actually feared was standing right behind me with a wide grin stretched across her face.

"Nee-chan" she greeted with a chuckle.

I made a one eighty and grinned back at her. "Okami" I replied with a nod, trying to swallow my unease.

"So you _do_ remember me!" she exclaimed in delight.

"How could I not?" I replied with a forced smile.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "What're you doing out here so late, Nee-chan?" she asked slyly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

She bellowed in laughter at my response. "I came to talk to you!" she said with a grin, "is that so wrong?"

My expression grew serious. "What is it that you truly want?"

Her smile and face quickly fell for a split second as she dropped her act. "I want you dead."

My eyes widened the slightest bit. I didn't have much time to react before she was sprinting towards me. With an outstretched hand, she hit my chest with a black glove. I gasped at the force, and watched as my gigai fell lifelessly to the frozen cement. After releasing my spiritual form, she hit herself with the glove.

While I was in standard shinigami uniform, I noticed her soul was clothed in a slightly different way. She wore the same black pants, but she was shirtless with only a white wrapping around her slim chest.

Drawing a zanpakuto, she instantly charged at me. Brain shifting into battle mode, I jumped up onto one of the many rooftops to dodge her attack. With a monstrously wide grin, she quickly followed. She landed softly, and attacked.

She took a wide swing to my head, but I ducked at the last second. My hand automatically moved to my right side to grab Nisshoku. As quickly as possible, I pulled out my zapakuto, and raised the sword to block one of her oncoming attacks. The two weapons made a loud 'clang' that resonated throughout the neighborhood as they made contact.

She glared at me; I smirked. Launching myself backwards, I moved to the closest rooftop. Okami swiftly flash-stepped after me, then flipped in a graceful arc over my head. When she landed, we were face to face. I swung and missed her nose by a mere inch. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Swinging her blade down on my head, I managed to draw my sword up and block her attack once again. She looked down at me and laughed.

"Why are you holding back, Nee-chan?" she questioned with a grin.

I glared at her in response.

"Oh? Not answering, are we?" she teased. She pulled her zapakuto away, and then slashed at my stomach. I responded by whacking her sword, and the force caused it to fly out of her grasp. It landed on the pavement below. Her gaze met mine.

"What will you do now?" I questioned, holding my blade to her throat.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she cackled. "Who knows?"

I looked at her in disbelief, this woman was truly insane. I opened my mouth in response, when I suddenly felt an immense pain spread throughout my stomach. Smiling wide, Okami looked up at me, a small dagger in hand. Releasing the blade, she took a step back.

"Now what will _you_ do, Nee-chan?"


	20. Chapter 19

**AN: Happy almost-Halloween everyone! Is anyone trick-or-treating this year? I'm just going to sit at home and watch Mirai Nikki. I think I'll wear my Toushiro shirt as well. Anyway, thanks for reading, and because I can't say this enough, reviews are GREATLY appreciated. Have a fun holiday, although technically it's not a holiday if you consider the root of the word. Gyeh, I'm such a smart ass Xp**

**DISCLAIMER: I still do not own the amazing franchise of Bleach.**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Gritting my teeth, I tore the dagger from the wound, and then collapsed to my knees. Wincing, I gasped in pain as blood dripped through my fingers. I grasped my stomach tighter, attempting to stop the bleeding.

Okami snickered and knelt down to look me in the eye. Leaning forward she whispered in my ear, her cool breath fanning my face. "I want to hear you scream."

Locking my jaw in anger, I swung at her in a desperate attempt to punch her. She hopped back gracefully with a laugh. "Sorry Nee-chan, but you have to be quicker than that!"

A growl slowly rose up inside of my chest, but I pushed it down. Breathing was becoming harder, and my body was losing blood at a rapid pace.

With her arms crossed, Okami approached me once again, but there was no smile plastered on her face. "What's holding you back, Nee-chan? You know you could easily beat me with that bankai of yours. What are you afraid of? Is it really worth dying for?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

I looked up and glared at her, then gasped at the sharp pain in my abdomen. "You're afraid of your power" she realized, taking a step back. "You're afraid of losing control. But there's no one else here to save you, Nee-chan! So show me! Show me that demon inside!" she screamed. She flash-stepped in front of me, then yanked me up by my hair. "Coward" she whispered.

And then it hit me, that excruciating pain pounding in my head. As the pain reverberated through my skull, she released my hair and let me fall back down, crying out in agony. I screamed and clutched my scalp with one bloody hand. My cries echoed into the night as my reiatsu quickly began to flare. Okami laughed hysterically.

"Now that's more like it! Get angry Nee-chan, get _deadly_!" she exclaimed. Suddenly her zanpakuto was back in her hand, and its tip was pointed at my head like a snake prepared to strike.

I couldn't defend myself; I could barely even breathe, the pain was so immense. My vision blurred, and my arms began to go numb. _No, I can't lose control. Not again_.

"C'mon, scream for me Nee-chan!" she sang, "show me that darkness you so desperately try to hide!" Okami grinned, and her reiatsu began to increase dramatically.

Cackling like some sort of maniac, she swung her sword down. I braced myself for the blow that was bound to come. "I'm so sorry, Toushiro" I whispered. I closed my eyes and waited.

But the pain never came. The pounding in my head abruptly stopped, and the clanging of swords resounded through the streets. I looked up to find Okami pinned, sword at her throat. Above her kneelt Toushiro, a blank, yet slightly angry look on his face. He narrowed his eyes.

"Oi, Nee-chan! Look who came to save the day!" She laughed, completely unaffected by the blade practically digging into her throat.

"Shut up" Toushiro spoke, eerily calm.

"Hai, _Captain_" she mocked, shifting her gaze to look at him.

He tightened his jaw and pushed the zanpakuto down harder. She winced.

Toushiro quickly noticed her small act of pain, and said "so you really aren't a hollow, considering that you can actually feel my weapon cutting into you."

"More like a pinch" she replied with a smirk. "So tell me" Okami asked in a relaxed tone. "Why waste your time on a girl that's bound to just die eventually? Why risk your life to save the day?"

Toushiro's gaze never faltered, and he didn't hesitate before replying "I care about her. What other reason do you need?"

The constantly grinning girl actually looked surprised. "You risked everything. You could die" she replied, that grin creeping back onto her face.

"I don't care" he immediately responded.

She frowned at his statement. "You're an interesting one, Captain, I'll give you that much" she said, "but I'm afraid this little game is over, for now at least."

And in a blink, she was gone just as quickly as she had arrived. I exhaled, but my relief only lasted a second before I remembered the blood slowly dripping between my fingers.

Toushiro came sprinting over, zanpakuto already sheathed.

"Hey Toushiro" I mumbled, followed by a grimace.

His eyes went wide. "You're bleeding heavily" he stated.

"Really?" I mocked, but my sarcasm was cut short as a gasp escaped my mouth. Toushiro bent down to pick me up.

"Come on, let's get you home" he said quietly, already flash-stepping across the rooftops.

"Mm" I mumbled in response. I could feel myself drifting off. Sleep sounded so nice, so peaceful. Maybe I could just stay there, in that warm, painless place…

"Don't fall asleep, Kurai" said Toushiro, shaking me from my drowsy haze.

I didn't bother replying, it took too much energy. All I could manage to do was keep my eyes open. _Just a little longer_, I told myself, but every minute felt like an eternity as my blood continually seeped out and left me feeling even weaker every moment that passed.

In an attempt to distract myself from the very high possibility of death, I looked up. The moon was full that night, sitting in the sky like a giant lantern. I smiled softly; the moon in Seireitei never shined quite as bright as this. It was almost comforting in a way. And being there, in Toushiro's arms, I allowed myself to close my eyes, and anticipate whatever the world was prepared to throw at us next.


	21. Chapter 20

**AN: Yo, happy November everyone. Is November even considered a happy month? I don't know what I'm saying, lol. Anyway, thanks for reading, and actually sticking with me thus far. I'm also very grateful to those who have taken the time to review in the past. That's all for now, and I hope I'll be able to update soon.**

**DISCLAIMER: I, despite being the fantastical person I am, do not own Bleach in any way, shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Upon entering the apartment, I rushed into the living room. Laying Kuraitsuki down on the couch softly, I was careful to avoid straining her abdomen. She was passed out, and her body was stretched out limply on the cushions due to heavy blood loss.

With one last glance at the injured shinigami, I went rushing into the kitchen. I grabbed the small house phone and quickly dialed a familiar number. It rang a couple of times before a female's voice answered. I instantly recognized the girl on the other end.

"Kurosaki household" she answered in a bored tone of voice.

"Karin, it's Hitsugaya" I greeted.

"Oh, hey Toushiro. When did you arrive in town?" she asked casually.

"As much as I'd love to chat right now, I really need to speak to your brother" I rushed.

"Sure" she replied, her tone slightly curious. I heard a muffled shout during the transition of speakers, and then there was another voice on the line.

"Toushiro? What is it?" he immediately asked.

"I need to know if Kuchiki-san is in Karakura."

"Ah, Rukia? Yeah, she got back a couple of hours ago. Why, is something wrong?" he asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"It's Kuraitsuki. I need you two to head over to the apartment immediately. Kuchiki does know how to use healing kido, right?"

"Yeah, of course. We'll be there in a couple of minutes" he confirmed.

I swiftly ended the call and placed the phone back on its stand. Reaching into a cabinet, I retrieved some medical gauze and various solvents, and then hurried back to Kuraitsuki's side.

"Typical Toushiro" she mumbled, slowly opening her eyes as I approached, "always planning ahead."

"How do you feel?" I asked, gently lifting her shirt to inspect the wound.

"Like I just got stabbed" she said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm. Despite what was going on around her, she always managed to find a way to make even the worst of situations brighter.

"Hey Toushiro," she started, turning her head to look at me, "about the kiss-"

"I don't think that subject is relatively important at this time" I cut in.

She frowned. As I began to clean the wound, she groaned in pain and gritted her teeth.

"Sorry" I mumbled, thoroughly focused on the task at hand. _Kurosaki, hurry up and get your ass over here._

I managed to clean and wrap the stab wound, but it was still bleeding heavily. Kuraitsuki had already fallen back asleep when I heard a loud knock at the door. I opened it, and Kurosaki came rushing in.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" he asked. He spotted her lying on the couch and rushed over to her quickly.

"She's fine, for now" I replied crossing my arms.

"What is this all about, Ichigo?" asked the young Kuchiki as she slowly walked into the apartment. She narrowed her eyes at the scene before her.

"You didn't tell her" I stated, giving the strawberry an _'are you freaking kidding me?'_ look. He just rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ah Rukia, this is Kuraitsuki. And she really needs your help" he said, looking at her pleadingly.

"You want me to heal the girl that hurt Nii-sama?" she asked him, an incredulous look on her face.

"It really wasn't her fault. So please, Rukia" he sincerely begged.

She slid her gaze to the sleeping girl who was wrapped in multiple bloody bandages and sprawled out on the couch. Rukia locked her jaw in irritation and shifted her eyes back over to Kurosaki. "Fine" she finally replied, "but I'm doing it for you, not her."

Ichigo's face lit up. As the small shinigami walked over and began a minor healing process, I turned to the red-head in front of me.

"Kurai left her gigai in a neighborhood about two miles from here. Go get it" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why me? And what am I, your dog?" he asked in disbelief.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" I asked with a blank expression.

I heard Kuraitsuki groan in pain from across the room. Ichigo glanced at her in concern, and sighed.

"Fine," he replied, looking back at me with a scowl, "but she better be alive and kicking when I get back" he said, referring to black-haired girl who was sleeping on the couch. With that he exited the room, and allowed the door to shut behind him with a resounding 'click.'


	22. Chapter 21

**AN: I recently realized how rarely anyone bothers with Authors' Notes, haha. So I've decided to try reading others' more often, just in consideration, you know? Anyway, thank you for reading, and if you think I take too long to update, you could always leave a review. Those motivate me to get my ass into gear and do it faster. Just saying ;3**

**DISCLAIMER: *Long sigh* Nooo, I don't own Bleach. Kubo-sama does...**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

I exhaled in utter boredom and continued to skim the large book held in both hands. I ran my fingers along the page, the kanji symbols appearing to merge together. I blinked away the blurriness behind my eyes. Across the room the front door opened with a creak. I looked over; my eyes met Toushiro's.

"That was quite the long walk" I said, returning my gaze to the book.

"I suppose" he replied casually.

"Ichigo called. He invited us to his place tomorrow for Christmas" I said, flipping the page.

"Can you make it that far?" he asked with concern, sitting down next to me on the couch.

I looked up and rolled my eyes. "My wound has healed quite well. Plus, it's already been four days. Shinigami heal fairly quickly" I argued. I held his gaze. He sighed.

"Fine, I guess we don't have anything better do."

I smiled. "Yes! Now I just have to figure out what 'Christmas' is" I mumbled, knitting my brows in thought.

"It's an American holiday" Toushiro answered with a bored expression.

"Then why do the Japanese celebrate it?" I asked.

"Who knows?" he replied with a shrug. Our conversation lapsed into silence. I looked at Toushiro, and blinked a couple of times. He returned my gaze quizzically; he could always tell when something was on my mind.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. I held his gaze for a moment, debating whether or not I should answer. But I gave in, and voiced my thoughts.

"She could attack at any time" I mumbled almost to myself, looking at my hands which were placed in my lap. "It's almost frightening, if you think about it."

"Then don't" was his short reply. With one last glance in my direction, he rose from his seat. Toushiro softly ruffled my hair, and stopped walking for a moment. He suddenly said, "I'm not going to let her hurt you again. So don't worry about a thing, ne Kurai?"

* * *

I looked at his back and mumbled "h-hai." Then I watched as he slowly walked away.

"Merry Christmas Kyofu-san!" squealed an overly excited Yuzu as she bowed her head in greeting.

"Y-you too, Yuzu–chan" I replied, my face red from the cold. She grinned and led Toushiro and me into the kitchen where Karin was lounging with a cup in her hand.

"Yo" she mumbled to us. I nodded with a small smile in reply.

"Well if it isn't Kuraitsuki-chan!" sang a voice from behind me. I whirled around and gasped in shock as Ichigo's father gave me a giant, bone-crushing hug.

"C-can't breathe" I choked out, struggling to break free. Then there was a flash of orange, and with a loud 'thump' I was released from the elder Kurosaki's grasp. The older man lay on the floor, completely out cold.

"What a creep" grumbled Ichigo, with no trace of concern for his father, whom he had just knocked out. "Anyway, hey Kurai" he greeted with a scowl, his arms crossed in annoyance.

"I suppose this is the best you can manage" I observed, referring to his deep frown.

"What's that supposed to mean? I just saved your ass, _again_!" he shouted, pointing to me in accusation.

"I'm pretty sure your dad isn't a hollow, stupid strawberry!" I yelled back.

He clenched his fist, but before he could hit me, a small raven haired girl slapped him on the back of the head. "Get over yourself, Ichigo. Stop trying to pick fights on Christmas" she scolded while glaring at him.

"K-Kuchiki-san" I greeted with a bow. "I never got a chance to thank you, so… please accept my deepest gratitude!" I exclaimed with my head still bowed. A moment of silence passed.

When I looked up to meet her eyes, she had a blank face. "Why are you thanking me? I didn't do it for you. If it weren't for Ichigo I would've left you to die. Just like you did to Nii-sama" she replied with menace. The atmosphere suddenly thickened tremendously with her words.

My eyes went wide with shock. "I-" I started, but Ichigo gave me a look that told me to shut it.

"Rukia!" he yelled, turning to her. She scoffed at him, then turned away and left. Ichigo looked back to me. "Don't apologize Kurai, she's just being a bitch."

"N-no, I completely understand. I hurt someone she loves. Really Ichigo, it's fine." I looked down and gritted my teeth.

I raised my head as Toushiro placed a hand on my shoulder. His turquoise eyes searched mine in concern. "I'm okay" I whispered to him. He hesitated, and removed his hand with a nod.

The room had gone quiet due to the conflict. I opened my mouth but could find no words; my throat felt dry. I realized that this must've been hard for her, having to keep a level head around someone she obviously couldn't stand. Thinking hard, I realized I'd be the same way if someone hurt Toushiro. "I'm going to try to talk to her" I announced, finally making a decision. No one argued.

Exiting the kitchen, I wandered around a little. I didn't know the layout of the house very well, considering I'd only been there once before. But after a minute or so, I found Rukia sitting on the stairs, head in her hands.

"Kuchiki-san" I said, approaching her slowly.

"I was with Ichigo" she said suddenly, not lifting her head to meet my gaze. "When I heard, I was here, with Ichigo. I was scared. Nii-sama, he's… sometimes it's easy to believe someone like that is indestructible."

I looked down at my feet and sighed. I took a seat a few steps below her. "It must have been scary" I replied, looking ahead.

"Yes" she whispered. "At first I couldn't believe it. Nii-sama seriously injured by some random ryoka? Impossible, but it was true. I left immediately to see him. The wound was bad, but they said he'd recover quickly. But I was surprised when their words didn't comfort me. I guess it was because I was angry. I was so angry that the person who did this, _you_, could just carry on so casually. And then to hear… Ichigo wants me to _heal_ you? Heal the person who I desire for nothing more than to be dead?" She took a deep breath, and finally looked up. "I apologize, but I cannot forget what you did."

I met her gaze with determination. "I could never ask for that, for you to overlook such a horrible thing. But, please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for what I've put everyone through. You, your brother, Toushiro, and the whole Seireitei; I understand if you hate me. But despite what I've done, I'd like for us to get along. We both care for Ichigo and the well-being of Soul Society. So even if you may never forgive me, I ask that we don't make this harder on everyone else."

We sat in silence for a long while, but my eyes never left hers. I refused to run away this time. I would handle my own problems, and in a rational way at that. And then surprisingly, she smiled. "You make a good point. Although I haven't exactly forgiven you, I suppose it would be cruel of me not to give you another chance. So let's get along, at least for now, ne Kuraitsuki?" she asked with an outstretched hand.

I smiled, "of course." And just like that, we shook on it. I couldn't take back what I had done, but at least I could stop running. I could face my problems head on, and that's just what I planned to do.


	23. Chapter 22

**AN: *Sings* All I want for Christmas is a reviewwwww. Ahaha, but seriously, I'd be eternally grateful. Aside from that, thanks for reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, nor the ever graceful Toushiro.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rukia and I walked back into the kitchen quietly. We could hear Ichigo and his father, appearing to have woken up, arguing. Upon entering the room I noticed Toushiro standing next to Karin, equal looks of boredom plastered on their faces.

When we entered the room, everyone went silent. The air itself felt tense. I smiled nervously and nodded to Toushiro, his expression morphed into that of relief. When Rukia left my side to break up the father-son fight, the tension in the atmosphere seemed to lift.

"What'd you say?" Toushiro asked quietly when I returned to his side.

"The truth" I replied simply. He looked at me for a moment longer, and then turned to Ichigo.

"C'mon, Kurosaki, it's now or never" he said to Ichigo, pulling on his coat.

"Oh, right" replied Ichigo, rubbing the spot on his head where Kuchiki had whacked him just moments ago. He grabbed a coat and placed it on the small girl's shoulders, then pushed her out the door.

"Where are we going?" I asked no one in particular as we exited the Kurosaki household.

"Yuzu won't be finished cooking for quite a while," Ichigo began, "so I thought it'd be a good idea to go and do something."

"Anything in mind?" I inquired.

He smirked. "Yeah" was all he said. I grumbled at his lack of response, but continued forward.

Soon enough I had fallen into step with Kuchiki while the strawberry and Toushiro walked ahead of us. "So Kuraitsuki" she started, turning to look at me, "how long have you and Captain Hitsugaya been together?"

My cheeks flamed red. I waved my hands in front of my face while shaking my head. "N-no, it's not like that" I stuttered in embarrassment.

"Really?" she said in thought, looking up at the white sky. "Do you like him?" she asked casually, as if she hadn't claimed she wanted me dead mere minutes ago.

I looked at her in shock, and then blinked a couple of times before replying. I answered as quietly as I could, "y-yes, but is it really that obvious?"

"Blatantly" she stated. She looked down at her hands and began to finger the large coat which engulfed her entire form. I realized that it must've been Ichigo's.

"You're in love with the strawberry" I whispered with wide eyes. Her head snapped up as her gaze met mine, and she blushed furiously. I smiled, "tell him, I promise you, he feels the same."

"Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"I guess you've never heard how fondly he speaks of you" I said with a soft laugh. I watched my breath visibly billow around me in the cold air.

She looked down at her feet. "And if he rejects me?" she asked in a small voice.

"He won't" I replied with confidence. "If you died tomorrow, would you have any regrets?" She thought for a moment, and then met my gaze. I could tell what her answer would be, _yes_, always a yes. "Think of that question when you see him. Take a chance, Kuchiki-san. It won't hurt just to try."

She smiled at me. "Rukia, you can call me Rukia. And thank you, Kuraitsuki." She rubbed her hands together for warmth and smiled to herself. Lifting her head, she looked to me once again and said "But shouldn't you be taking your own advice?"

I stopped. Suddenly, the bitter wind against my cheeks, the numbness in my fingers, the soft chatter in the background, it all disappeared. My ears rang and all I could see was Toushiro. _Toushiro_, my mind whispered, _would you be my one regret?_ I took a shaky breath. _Yes, always a yes_.

We arrived at a sports park. At first I was a little confused, but then Ichigo led us to the outdoor skating rink. Then I got excited. The rink was rather empty, considering the holiday. We got our skates fairly quickly, and before I knew it I was stumbling around the ice; talk about déjà vu.

I flailed my arms about, trying to keep my body balanced, but I failed quite miserably. I grew tired of constantly falling so I latched onto the outer walls. I kept both arms firmly on the barrier while I took small glides to move my body forward.

While I was holding on for dear life, Toushiro glided ever-so-gracefully across the ice. "You'd think he's some sort of prodigy" I mumbled, "Oh wait, he is."

When he finally noticed me latched onto the wall, he gave a small smile and held out his hand. "I'll probably just drag you down with me" I warned.

He raised his eyebrows. "Do you want my help or not?"

I waited a moment, and then grabbed his hand. "Fine" I mumbled.

He pulled me away from the outer barrier slowly, and then pulled my body closer to his. "Relax. Tensing up won't help" he said. I shivered as he placed his other hand on my hip gently. "One foot at a time" he coaxed. I nodded absent-mindedly, dazed from the close proximity.

Suddenly I was being launched from Toushiro's grasp. I shrieked in surprise. "Bend your knees!" he shouted. I did as he said, and thankfully, for the first time I didn't fall.

"Yes!" I shouted, raising my arms in victory. I looked back to find Toushiro smiling, I grinned at him. His gaze left mine for a moment, and then he motioned for me to look to my right.

I moved my gaze over to find Rukia and Ichigo, both standing in the entryway to the bleachers. Above them hung mistletoe; I snickered at the cheesiness of the moment. I could tell they had noticed the plant hanging above them, because the stupid red-head was gazing down while the short girl was blushing. She said something and punched his arm. He looked up and scowled at her. Then Rukia did the unexpected, and she swiftly grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. When they broke apart, even Ichigo was blushing.

I looked to my left as Toushiro skated towards me. I grinned at him and laughed. "Way to go, Kuchiki" I whispered. Although I knew she hadn't heard me, the small shinigami turned to look at me, and then gave a thumb up. I laughed, and let Toushiro grab a hold of my hand as we quietly skated away.


	24. Chapter 23

**AN: Hello. A quick message to whoever anonymously reviewed the last chapter: you did it as a guest, so I can't personally thank you. *Sigh* But still, thank you very much for taking the time to review. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I told you reviews motivate me, haha.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't, and I highly doubt I will ever own Bleach.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Kurosaki home was filled with laughter that evening as friends and family conversed. We ate dinner once we got back from ice-skating, and let me tell you, Yuzu was one hell of a cook.

We settled down after the large meal in the living room. I sat on their couch between Ichigo and Toushiro. Rukia was seated on the floor between the strawberry's legs, quietly chatting with Yuzu who was located across from her. I simply watched with a smile, amazed with the warm atmosphere that seemed to engulf the entire household.

Leisurely listening to the conversations around me, I noticed how Rukia would lean back while laughing, and then look up at Ichigo with a smile. No one was quite sure what their relationship had transformed into, I didn't think even they knew for certain. But it was nice to watch how his gaze softened as his eyes met hers. I found myself wishing I could do that, and subconsciously looked over.

My gaze shifted to my right, where Toushiro was chatting with a rather animated Karin. She was explaining some extraordinary story that involved soccer. She used many exaggerated hand motions to portray the various events taking place in her story. Toushiro watched with interest and mild amusement. I sighed and closed my eyes, listening to the soft laughter and joyful voices, and wished for that moment to last forever.

* * *

"Come back and visit soon!" Yuzu called, waving goodbye as Toushiro and I walked out into the snowy air outside.

"Of course!" I shouted back with a grin, cheeks red from the cold. I turned and faced ahead, burying my face in Toushiro's scarf. The same scarf I hadn't given back since the night I met Okami.

I walked beside him slowly, looking up at the white sky above. Snowflakes drifted lazily onto the pavement below, while some landed in my hair and melted on my cheeks. I closed my eyes and slowly exhaled.

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I gasped and bent over, grasping my stomach with gritted teeth. Toushiro stopped and leaned down to look at me. "I knew you wouldn't be able to handle it" he muttered, mostly to himself.

I looked at him through narrowed eyes. With a sigh, he turned around and said "hop on."

I jumped onto his back and wrapped my legs around his torso. I put my arms around his neck and nuzzled my face into his coat. As usual, he smelled minty. His arms held my body securely in place as he continued walking. I closed my eyes in content and let a sigh escape my mouth as his warmth quickly spreading throughout my body. Despite his cold exterior, he radiated heat just like any other human. _Just another thing I love about him_, I thought.

My breath caught in my throat. _Wait_… _Love? Did I just say love? _My mind swirled in confusion. I knew I cared about him, so much that it hurt. But was that all it really was? Then suddenly Rukia's words were ringing through my head, _"but shouldn't you be taking your own advice?"_

I gulped and shut my eyes tightly as my heart thudded in my chest. I… loved him? No way, he was a captain. He didn't have time for something so trivial. But those rare, beautiful smiles, those smiles that only I had the privilege to see.

That was a reason why I loved Toushiro… Toushiro, the powerful, short-fused, over protective prodigy of a captain; he was the person who I cared for so much, I'd die for him. And he'd do the same for me. So what was so wrong with loving him? I couldn't wrap my head around that theory, but somehow I found myself admitting to it.

I loved Toushiro. All of this time, and I could never truly admit it. Then suddenly, there was something inside of me that just snapped.

"Put me down, Toushiro" I whispered.

"I doubt your stomach will be any better" he argued.

When I didn't answer, he just sighed, and slowly lowered me to the ground. As he turned to face me, I still hadn't opened my eyes. I clenched my fist. Clench, unclench, clench, and unclench. My heart rate skyrocketed as I took deep breaths. "Toushiro-" I began, but stopped.

Opening my eyes, I looked at him. His gaze was filled with confusion. I opened my mouth, _no turning back now_. The words escaped before I could muster another thought, "I'm in love you."

The words hung in the air like a weight, waiting to fall and smash us to a million bits. My heart was pounding in my ears, and I was breathing fast. Too fast. _Has the world always spun like this?_

No, because this time, I wasn't drunk. There's no excuse, and nothing left to hide. _I love him_, I had realized. And I wasn't going to hold back any longer.

I met his gaze once again. "I'm not lying, Toushiro. I-I love you. I really, truly love you. And no matter what you say, it won't change. I'm sober, and I finally know how I feel. So, I love you Toushiro Hitsugaya! You might not feel the same, but I don't care! Because I'm in love, and it feels damn great!" I exclaimed, a grin creeping its way onto my face. Finally, I could be true to myself. And the feeling was like no other.

But the young captain still stood stoic. I was beginning to wonder if he was in shock, when suddenly, he took a step forward. Then that one step turned into two, then three, and finally we were face to face. We looked at each other with wide eyes, daring one another to do something, anything. Because this time, there was no holding back.

And he kissed me. With more passion I even knew he possessed, and he gently placed a hand on my cheek as his lips met mine. They felt, they tasted the same as I remembered. Cool, minty, amazing. I kissed him back with equal force, releasing all that pent up emotion that I held inside all of those weeks, months even.

It was unreal, feeling his breath mingled with mine. Our mouths seemed to mold together so perfectly. I pushed my fingers through his hair, wet from the falling snow. With his free hand he pulled me closer, I gasped in surprise.

_I must be dreaming_, I thought. No experience could be this great. And finally, to my disappointment, his lips left my mouth. We both struggled for air as he leaned his forehead against mine.

"You never… let me finish, the night you first kissed me." He opened his eyes and looked at me. There was so much emotion behind that one look, it took my breath away.

I gazed at him, waiting for him to finish. "Kuraitsuki" he muttered, then chuckled lightly, "you idiot."

I raised my brows in question, but decided to ask later. He took a deep breath, and looked down, and then began again.

"You walked away before I could say anything. Before I could tell you," his eyes met mine, "that I love you."

I wasn't breathing, I wasn't moving, because in that moment, everything in the world finally felt right. What an amazing feeling that was. I closed my eyes and laughed, wholeheartedly laughed. I grabbed his neck and muttered "stupid Toushiro."

And for the second time that night, we kissed, like the whole world wasn't falling down around us. And we laughed, like life as we knew it wasn't going to come crashing down in a heap of utter and uncontrollable chaos.


	25. Chapter 24

**AN: Happy New Year everyone! I doubt I'm the only one dreading returning to school... But that aside, thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated.**

**DISCLAIMER: The things I'd do with Bleach if I owned it, and yet, I do not.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four

I lounged in the old booth, the scent of coffee and worn leather wafting throughout the building. I sighed and closed my eyes while leaning back leisurely.

Kuraitsuki was working the late shift, so I decided to wait inside while she locked everything up. It was her second day back at work, thankfully nothing had gone wrong and she hadn't experienced any pain, well, not yet.

A couple of minutes passed as I reveled in the rare silence. But soon enough, I heard footsteps approaching. "Ready when you are" Kurai chimed, standing in front of the table.

I cracked open an eye; she was giddy and practically jumping with excitement. Leaning forward I slowly rose from my seat. She grinned and looped her arm through mine as we walked towards the exit. She was visibly glowing.

"What do they look like?" she asked, her voice laced with excitement.

"You mean the fireworks?" I inquired as we exited the small diner. She nodded enthusiastically.

"They're," I paused, thinking back to my previous visits to the human world, "bright, and very colorful."

She squeezed my arm and bounced a little. "It's going to be great, isn't it Toushiro? All of us together on New Year's" she bubbled.

I mumbled a small "yeah", and she continued to ramble about how "totally psyched" she was. That must have been a human term, I supposed. I watched in mild amusement at her youthful spirit and overexcitement as we walked through the streets. _Speaking of hyperactive, over the top happy, _I thought, pulling out a sheet of paper from my pocket.

Kurai's chatter abruptly stopped. "What's that?" she asked, taking the piece of paper from my hands.

"Kuchiki-san stopped by the apartment earlier and gave it to me. It's from Matsumoto."

"Rangiku-san?" she said happily. Unfolding the letter, she began to read it. Her eyes skimmed over it quickly and thoroughly. A couple of minutes later, she raised her head and gave me a weird look. "What happened to the bottom?"

Ah, the bottom of the letter. I thought back to earlier that day.

* * *

"_Thanks Kuchiki-san" I said as the small shinigami walked off with a wave._

_ I closed the door behind her and unfolded the letter. Walking across the room, I settled myself on the couch and began to read._

Captain! Kurai-chan! How are you two? It's been over a month already! Seireitei has become so dull without you two around. I've begun to lose interest in sake, who knew that was possible? But that's beside the point! Now that you guys are fugitives, Old Yamamoto has alerted a large portion of the Soul Society, as well as some areas in the human world to be on the lookout. It's so exciting. Captain Soifon was ordered to conduct a search, but they gave that up a while ago. I have a feeling they know where you are, yet no one's suggested making a move. It's quite odd. But anyway, hurry up and beat whoever is behind this! It's too boring here, and I miss Kurai-chan's cute smile. Hurry back!

-Matsumoto

P.S. Captain, now that you and Kurai are together, well according to Kuchiki-chan you are… But anyway, don't forget to use prote-

_I quickly ripped off the last portion of the letter, and stuffed it down the drain. I turned on the garbage disposal while neatly folding the rest of paper back up. I placed it in my pocket for Kurai to read later, and whispered "_Idiot Matsumoto."

* * *

"Who knows? It probably just got damaged on the way here" I quickly replied, averting my eyes.

"Oh" she lightly said, "that's too bad."

I stopped walking as we arrived at the predetermined meeting location, courtesy of Kurosaki. It appeared we were a few minutes late, but they had yet to light the fireworks.

"Kuraitsuki!" Kuchiki called, waving her over.

Kurai grinned and jogged over, picking up a rather entertaining conversation. The two girls laughed with glimmering smiles over one of Rukia's comments. I walked up to the conversing girls, and noticed a scowling Kurosaki. Who knew why he was in such a foul mood.

"Oi, strawberry" Kurai yelled, smacking his arm. "Lighten up for once."

He responded by shooting her a glare. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, looking about ready to punch him. Then Kuchiki suddenly grabbed him by the ear, and yanked his head down to her level. She whispered something quickly, and then his eyes widened in terror. She released the tall red-head as he tried plastering on the fakest smile I had ever witnessed.

"You're rather intimidated by someone half your size, Kurosaki" I commented.

He growled at me, but quickly shut up when Rukia gave him a withering look.

Their glare off was cut short as a shot sounded, and a small flare was launched into the air. The sky rumbled with what sounded like thunder as the flare erupted into bits of gold. The gold faded to red as it spread across the night sky.

I looked down to Kuraitsuki. Her eyes were wide in amazement, her mouth set in a gape. She was truly entranced. I smiled softly, then reaching out I touched her shoulder, and pulled her closer. She smiled.

Green flashed across black, and dissipated the next instant. With a crackle, there were spots of purple and blue, then a burst of yellow. The dark sky lit up in a display of colors, their loud booms echoing around us. I exhaled and whispered gently "Happy New Year, Kurai" as the world lit up in a frenzy of bright gold.

She looked up with glittering eyes, and nodded. The fireworks roared and erupted to life in the background. Though they were incredibly loud, it seemed like the whole world had gone quiet. And all I could see was her, the one girl I couldn't live without.

It was amazing we had made it this far. Within the past few months, she almost died twice. It pained me to think of what could have happened if we didn't escape Seireitei when we did. Yet we made it here, slightly shaken, but very much alive. And I didn't have any intention of letting her go after all that we had been through.

She caught me staring, and blinked while holding my gaze. Before turning away, Kuraitsuki flashed me a smile, and with only a slight bit of hesitance, I smirked back. And there we stood, looking at each other with small, but genuine smiles. And we waited in content silence, for whatever hardship was to come next, as the world around us slowly faded to black.

_End of Part Two_


	26. Second Intermission

**AN: Two parts down, one to go. Considering these Intermissions are rather short, I decided to post both a chapter and this today. Thanks for reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Bleach.**

* * *

Second Intermission

Footsteps resounded through the dark, empty halls of the intricately large building. A short blonde girl hurried through, afraid of getting punished for being late yet again. Making a swift right, she entered a small room, and slammed the door shut behind her. Releasing a sigh, she laid down on a tradition Japanese futon.

She panted, tired due to her recent transition through dimensions. She gasped for breath and waited for her erratic heartbeat to slow.

Cautiously raising her arm to the light, she stared at it with dull eyes, despising the feeling of being in a gigai. She exhaled in annoyance, and quickly removed the limb from her line of sight, disgusted with the various scars that were far from self-inflicted. Looking up towards the ceiling, she whispered, "Show me Kuraitsuki Kyofu."

An image appeared above her, glowing bright in the dimly lit room. The silent girl looked up with a blank expression. On the screen, a black-haired shinigami was walking next to a boy. They were chatting casually, and the girl named Kuraitsuki smiled.

The small blonde gritted her teeth and shut her eyes. Releasing a sigh, she swiped the image away. "Damn you, Nee-chan, making me feel this way."

Laying a hand on her head, she winced as her movement strained a recent cut on her side. She lifted her shirt, and fingered the wound gently. It had been two days previous when he hit her. But the worst part wasn't the pain he had inflicted, but rather the fact that he had used her own zanpakuto to cut her. She scowled and looked away.

Suddenly a booming voice rang out "Okami!"

Her eyes widened in fear as she quickly sat up. Thinking fast, she released herself from the gigai, in case she ended up needing her sword. Leaving the artificial body in the room, she exited to the dark hallway and walked slowly towards the origin of the voice.

Reaching the end of the hall, she opened a large door and peeked in cautiously. The room was empty. She was about to retreat before a hand grabbed her by the head, and slammed her against a wall.

"You directly disobeyed my orders, _again_" growled the large man who was holding her against the wall. "Where were you?"

The short girl grinned at him in defiance, refusing to say a word. But her rebellious facade fell as she winced from a rising headache.

"Drop the act, you _stupid girl_" he said in a menacing tone.

Gritting her teeth, she grinned wider, then leaned in close and whispered "Go. To. Hell." The small girl then proceeded to smile, and spat blood in the man's face.

He growled in rage. "Bitch!" he yelled, slamming her head against the wall once more. Okami gasped in pain, but refused to say anything more. He glanced at her in disgust, and then stormed off, leaving the smiling girl to slide down and rest her throbbing head in her arms.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind the man, she dropped the grin and began to sob. Her cries resounded throughout the large room, engulfing her very existence. Her vision was dimly shrouded.

"Kuraitsuki" she whispered with a hoarse voice, "please save me."


	27. Chapter 25

**AN: Long time no see. I had finals last week, so I guess that's a semi-relevant excuse. Anyways, we're on the last stretch; just eleven more chapters after this one. So thanks for reading thus far, and I'd always love to hear what you think.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach. I wish a fast and pleasant recovery upon the author of the manga, Kubo-sama. May he return to a healthy state very soon.**

* * *

Part Three

-Wretched Wolf-

Chapter Twenty-Five

_The air around felt thick with tension as my heart rate increased rather dramatically. My breath came in out in short puffs as I struggled to keep running; black clouds beginning to engulf me whole. A snarl sounded behind me, and I attempted to stifle a scream._

_ Suddenly, my body stopped with a frightening abruptness. I couldn't move, and the growls of the advancing beast only got louder. My eyes were wide in terror and I was sweating profusely. I whipped my head around in a panicked manner, and then I saw it. A large wolf with gleaming black eyes, inching closer with teeth displayed threateningly._

_ I tried calling out for help, but no words would reach my lips. I could only watch as the canine jumped, fangs ready to sink into my flesh-_

* * *

"Ahh!" I screamed, shooting up in bed. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I gasped for breath. The room was silent; Toushiro had probably left early. Releasing a sigh, I laid back. My heart was still beating uncontrollably as I took a deep, calming breath.

Sunlight peeked through the windows, and I turned my head to the right to get a look outside. It had snowed the previous night, leaving the street and buildings shrouded in white. _It's going to be a pain getting to work, _I thought.

Rolling off the bed, I landed on the floor with a 'thump', already dreading the day's labor.

* * *

"What do the humans call this month, Toushiro?" I asked, looking up at him inquisitively. The sun was slowly setting as we walked back home from the diner.

"January" he simply replied. He looked deep in thought, his gaze focused on the path ahead.

The sky was clear, despite the blizzard that had occurred merely a day ago. It had been the first time in a week we had seen the sun. It had finally made its way past the white, snowy clouds above.

Taking a good look at his expression, I decided to ask what was on his mind. "What is it?" I said in a low voice.

He sighed and looked down at me. "Don't you find it strange that Seireitei hasn't taken any action? If they know where we are… it just doesn't make any sense."

I hummed in thought. "Are you scared?" I asked.

"No" he replied.

"Then why worry? I find this an advantage. Who knows? Maybe they really are cheering for us" I said in attempt to reassure him.

He grunted in response. It wasn't a strong argument, but that's all I could think of at the moment. I pursed my lips as we walked in silence.

"I had a dream last night" I blurted. He looked at me with blank expression. "There was this wolf. And it was pretty scary at the time, but now it just seems kind of silly. He had his mouth open in a growl" I said in a light tone. I put a finger to my chin. "It kinda looked like this" I said, raising my hands to imitate claws and twisting my face to create the appearance that I was growling. "Grr."

Toushiro held back a laugh, but quickly composed himself. "You shouldn't be taking these dreams too lightly, Kurai" he said in a serious tone of voice, although his light smile betrayed him.

"Sorry, you just looked kind of down" I replied.

"Thank you. Your imitation did manage to cheer me up" he curtly said. I grinned at him as we approached the apartment.

As we neared the front door, Toushiro removed the keys from his pocket, but suddenly froze in place.

"W-what is it?" I asked quietly.

He motioned for me to stay where I was, and then whispered "there's someone in there, with quite a strong reiatsu too."

I stopped, and watched as he slowly opened the door. The apartment was dark, and for the most part, silent. I hadn't realized it before, but Toushiro was right. The spiritual pressure emanating from the room was immense. And… familiar.

I slapped a hand over my mouth in shock. I widened my eyes as I finally recognized who was in there. I reached out to warn Toushiro, but before I could-

"Yo" spoke a female voice from inside. With long, yet overly-worn fingers, the woman flicked on a lamp. I blinked away the sudden brightness of the room. The light reflected off of her hair as the short girl grinned.

"Okami" I growled. I clenched my fist, but Toushiro held me back before I could advance.

"What do you want?" he calmly spoke, although his eyes held so much hatred.

"Why so hostile, Nee-chan, Captain?" she drawled, rising from her seat on the couch. "I come in peace" she said with a snicker, raising her arms in surrender. She was in shinigami form, meaning her zanpakuto was easily accessible. But to not have bothered with a gigai, it probably meant she was in a rush.

"Somehow, I'm having a hard time believing your words" Toushiro said with narrowed eyes.

She sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. Suddenly, I realized just how tired she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes and she appeared to be quite disheveled. Okami collapsed back onto the couch. That's when I noticed the dried blood in her hair, along with the red smeared on her hands.

"Toushiro, she's hurt" I whispered, "there's no way she'd start a fight in this weak of a state."

His eyes widened a fraction at my words. Noticing it himself, he paused. With much reluctance, he finally released me with a sigh. With worry beginning to well up inside of me, I started to walk towards her, but Toushiro touched my shoulder.

"Just… Be careful around her, alright?" he said, giving me a meaningful look.

I nodded. "Of course" I replied with a reassuring smile. Turning away, I gulped. I moved forward, and upon reaching the girl, I touched her head softly. "It's okay Okami, you're safe now" I whispered.

With a nervous sigh, I thought, _Oh Kami, please don't let me be wrong._


	28. Chapter 26

**AN: Hello! I'm a little embarrassed about how inconsistent my uploads are. Oops. I've been drowning myself in schoolwork lately, which virtually sucks the life-force out of me. But for those who are still sticking around, thank you so much for reading. A review would make my day, if you wouldn't mind, of course.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach. If I did, I'd make Kubo tell me all the secrets... hehehe...**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six

Morning light streamed in through the window, cascading against the face of the girl sleeping on the couch. Her expression was relaxed and body totally at ease, completely different than the tight smile that usually adorned her face.

I stood in the kitchen, cup of tea in hand. I sipped the hot drink slowly while watching the injured shinigami through narrowed eyes. Kuraitsuki had set me on watch-dog duty while she covered for one of her coworkers at the diner. It was a horribly boring task.

Okami hadn't woken up once in the past twelve hours. Once Kurai had fixed her head up, she was out like a light. I sensed she hadn't had a restful sleep for a while, but it shocked me that she would be at ease here, of all places. It was especially strange considering she had attempted to kill Kurai less than a month ago.

I glared at her lifeless form from behind the mug as I recalled that dreadful event. But I was shaken from my thoughts when the blonde stirred. Blinking away the light, she slowly sat up, looking at me with hazy eyes.

"Hey Captain" she said with a yawn.

I growled, and then took another sip of tea.

"Your exterior is quite cold, even first thing in the morning, eh?" she said with a grin.

"I'd be careful if I were you" I said in a low voice.

"Why's that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

"You may have won Kuraitsuki over, but that doesn't mean I trust you. You should be thanking Kami that Kurai was with me when we got here. If not, I would've killed you on the spot" I said, meaning every word.

"Hmm, I don't doubt that" she whispered with a smile. "I guess I am lucky. Nee-chan is so nurturing and motherly. It's adorable" she said with a snicker.

I looked at her with disgust. "Maybe I should've just killed you despite Kurai's wishes. It was the perfect opportunity."

"True, but that'd make you look like the bad guy. Wouldn't want that, now would we, Captain Hitsugaya?" she replied with a widening smile.

I slowly exhaled. "No use dawdling on the past, now is there?"

"I suppose not" she said quietly. The tension in the air was thickening by the second as we glared at each other from across the room. It was silent, besides the soft ticking of the clock. Okami leaned back and closed her eyes.

"She belonged to me, you know" spoke the small girl, breaking the silence. "But then you came along and took her away. You cut my lifeline, Captain." She sighed, and then flashed a sad smile.

I watched her inquisitively. Her words were odd, and slightly chilling. "I would apologize, Okami, but I can't say she was ever yours in the first place" I said quietly.

She opened her eyes, and for once they swam with emotion. "Oh, but she was. You may not believe me Captain, but I loved her long before you."

"Yet you tried to kill her" I replied, a twinge of question in my words.

"A mere game" she said with a wave, "a quite entertaining game at that. But that's beside the point. You see, I've been watching her for quite some time now. Not in a creepy sort of way, of course. No, they were just small glances at first. But it turned into something much more… _real._"

"She was asleep for two years. Did you meet her before then?" I inquired. I was starting to become intrigued by this story.

"No, I never met her before that day at the diner. But I knew her, far better than you ever could. My master, the one who gave me this nice wound, right here" she said, touching the back of her scalp, "he was the one who was watching her from the start. And one day, when I was much younger, I happened to sneak a peek at what he was watching. She was so beautiful, and gentle and kind. And everything I could never be.

"Soon enough I was infatuated with the girl. Seeing her was the only thing I ever looked forward to after those horrid beatings." Her voice had taken on a bitter tone. Noticing the shift in her mannerisms, she quickly grinned. "Not to mention, she was a brilliant fighter. Then one day, a captain came staggering in through the snow. Do you know who it was?" she asked in a light tone, though her eyes held malice.

I sighed, "of course."

"Good Captain, because that one little incident changed everything. You changed everything. Before I knew it, she was in love. And I lost any chance of ever finding happiness.

"But it's not just her I lost because of you… but my pride as well. He got mad, and his beatings were much more… violent, frequent. Not to mention sick in every possible way. It was humiliating. All because you were an unplanned factor, and you ruined me. I hate you, Toushiro Hitsugaya. And nothing you do will ever change that." She looked down with gritted teeth, but when she lifted her head once again, a grin was plastered onto her face.

"I don't care what you think of me" I whispered while slowly approaching her, "but you drag Kuraitsuki into this little fit of hate of yours, and she gets hurt, I will not hesitate to kill you."

She chuckled, and looked up at me. "I expected nothing less, Captain."


	29. Chapter 27

**AN: Since this is a consecutive upload, I don't have much more to say. How's everyone doing? Is school going alright? If you are still in school. Either way, I hope things are well. As always, thanks for reading, and reviews are very much appreciated. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, and sadly, and I highly doubt I ever will. Sorry, my precious Ichi-kun.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"How does it feel?" I asked as Okami flexed her hand, attempting to adjust to the new gigai. I stopped by Urahara's after my shift to buy a new one for her, since she had lost the last. She moved her arms around a little bit to get a feel for the artificial body. She grinned.

"It fits well. As for how it feels, I don't think any gigai can be pleasant" she said, smiling at me. Her gaze seemed distant, almost emotionless despite her cheerful tone.

"Well, as long as it works for now. You're going to need it for your new job" I replied, tilting my head to further observe. Something was different, but I couldn't quite place it.

"W-wait, what? Who ever said anything about a job?" Her head snapped up as she looked at me in bewilderment.

"Oh yeah, I probably should have mentioned that earlier" I muttered, looking down in thought. "I got you a job at the diner. I'm not gonna let you freeload off of us forever, you know."

"The Captain doesn't work" she whined, pointing to Toushiro who was standing next to me quietly.

Toushiro widened his eyes a fraction, and raised his fist in irritation. He still wasn't convinced that the girl had changed, and I didn't blame him. But he couldn't keep snapping at everything she said or did. I put a hand on his chest to hold him back. He looked at me, and narrowing my eyes in warning, I glared back. Studying my expression, he eventually sighed in defeat and lowered his hand.

"He doesn't have to work because he's the one who paid for this place. Besides, we get by just fine with the money I make" I replied as calmly as I could.

Okami grumbled under her breath, and then flopped down on the couch. "I still don't find it fair" she complained.

"Says the girl who ambushed an unsuspecting Kurai" he bit back.

Okami stood up, and approached Toushiro with a grin. "You trying to pick a fight, Captain?" she asked, her voice laced with a sick excitement.

He growled and leaned closer. "I'm not looking for violence. I just want you out of here as soon as possible."

"Well isn't that too bad?" she whispered, looking him in the eye. She was challenging him, daring him to take a swing.

But I got between them before a real fight could break out. Ever since I'd gotten home, the two shinigami had been at each other's throats constantly. It took all I had not to slap the both of them out of their childish behavior.

"Just give it a rest, will you?" I said in irritation, shifting my gaze back and forth between them. "Okami, you're working if you want to stay here. Toushiro, you're just going to have to deal with it."

They looked at me with unease. Okami's smirk slowly slid off her face. Shooting her one last glare, Toushiro finally backed off. I sighed in relief and ran a hand through my hair.

As everyone attempted to calm down, I allowed my eyes to flicker over to the clock for an instant. Then something in my mind snapped. "Dammit, I told Ichigo I'd meet him ten minutes ago" I growled out, angry that the argument had distracted me.

Rushing to the door, I grabbed Okami on the way.

"W-whoa, where are you going?" questioned Toushiro as he placed a hand on the door.

"I told Ichigo I'd bring Okami with me" I replied, in a hurry to leave.

"I'm not letting you two out alone. She could stab you when you least expect it" he said, shooting Okami suspicious looks.

"You know what? Fine, I don't have time for this" I said, grabbing his arm and shoving both of them out the door. "You're coming too."

"What?!" They objected in unison.

"I say we ditch the sociopath" argued Toushiro.

"No one wants the Reaper of All Things Fun around!" Okami shot back. Suddenly they were back in each other's faces.

I groaned as they continued their endless argument.

"Oh yeah? So what's your idea of fun, wolf? Massacring the city?" yelled Toushiro.

"You're calling _me_ the mass murderer? How many souls have _you_ slain, Captain?" she shouted.

"At least I do it for a worthy cause!" he bit back with a growl.

"Worthy cause, my ass" she said, "What did those arrancar ever do to you?"

Toushiro paused, mouth open in preparation for a retort. He gaped at her for a moment, and then whispered "How do you know about that?" He gritted his teeth and flashed a glare. "What could you ever know about that war? You weren't there; you wouldn't understand the amount of loss we endured."

Her face fell. "Don't lecture me about loss, Captain."

Her words were followed by a deep and solemn silence. My heart thudded erratically. _What kind of tragedies have those two experienced?_ I thought, biting my lip.

I suddenly remembered how long it had been. What had happened to Toushiro during those two years I was gone?

"Come on, Kurai" he whispered, turning to walk away. His words shook me from my thoughts.

"H-hai" I muttered in response, scurrying after him. I looked back at Okami. She was leaning against the wall of the hallway, head down and hair covering her face. As her shape faded while we walked away, all I could think was that never before had she looked quite so broken.


	30. Chapter 28

**AN: Well, it's been quite a while, hasn't it? Hopefully life won't be quite so hectic these next few months, haha. On another note, thanks for reading! And I always appreciate a review, if you can find the time to send one my way.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, I'd make Kubo-sama hurry the heck up and bring Toushiro back.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight

* * *

"Took you long enough" said Ichigo, as Toushiro and I approached their end of the street.

"Oh shut up" Rukia chided, hitting him on the back of the head. He glared down at her with his ever-present frown. It was amazing, considering how menacing the look was meant to be, but how full of love and admiration it truly was. He cared so much for Rukia he didn't even have it in him to feign anger.

As they held each other's stares, I sighed and smiled, all previous thoughts of Okami wiped from my mind. This moment felt so familiar, so normal, and I wouldn't let it go to waste.

"Hey strawberry, you promised you'd take me to an arcade" I sang, interrupting the face-off between him and his… girlfriend? No one really knew what they were. But they were definitely more than friends.

"Oh yeah" he replied, looking down at me. "Hey Kurai, when did you get so short?" he asked with a smirk, lightening the mood.

I frowned and raised a threatening fist in his direction. "Watch it, Kurosaki" I warned as he began leading us down the street.

"What?" he asked, raising his hands in mock innocence, "It was just a question."

I growled at him, but dropped it when he said "So where's the other midget? I thought she was tagging along too. All I see is shorty number one and two."

"You must have a death wish, Kurosaki" said Toushiro, popping a vein. "And Okami had to cool off."

"Whose fault was that?" I muttered under my breath.

Toushiro shot me look. I laughed at his irritation and kissed his cheek. "You're so serious" I whispered.

He blushed the slightest bit at my public display. I busted out laughing at his embarrassed expression. Ichigo and Rukia turned around to look at us, and Rukia held in a snicker at his flustered face.

"S-shut up!" he stuttered, shooting us all glares.

"Wow, Captain. I've never seen you blush before" Rukia said in between her soft chuckles. While the dark-haired girl tried to hold back, Ichigo was downright guffawing.

Toushiro crossed his arms in frustration and pushed on ahead, leaving us to stand teary-eyed. Attempting to calm myself, I chased after him.

"Come on, lighten up" I said, latching my arms around his neck from behind. "You know you can't stay mad at me" I sang. I swung around and stood in front of him with a smile.

He averted his eyes. Sighing, I looked down. Then mustering all of the courage I could, I reached up and kissed him lightly, wrapping my arms around his neck. I smiled into the kiss as he began to respond. His tense shoulders eased up and relaxed as I pulled away. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" I said softly, looking him in the eye.

Toushiro smirked, then reached out and gently touched my cheek. It was one of those rare moments when he let his softer side shine through. I mentally sighed in contentment. But the moment was ruined when Ichigo whacked me on the top of the head.

I swung around and glared daggers at him. "What was that for, stupid strawberry?!" I yelled.

"Your extensive PDA is defiling my young mind" he shouted back, smirking as he and Rukia walked ahead hand in hand.

"Oh yeah, you're most definitely the shining image of innocence" I said sarcastically. He scowled and I laughed as we continued on with our comfortable conversation.

* * *

"So many lights" I whispered, just about drooling in awe. I'd never seen such a flashy and colorful scene before. We were standing in the entryway of what Ichigo called an 'arcade'. The term sounded rather American.

"What's this?" I squealed in excitement, dashing over to an oval of blinking lights. The small structure consisted of half of a dome, and a square pad directly below. There were also buttons on a box inside the dome.

"You put in a coin" Ichigo instructed, whipping out a circular shiny object, "then place it in the slot. After that you jump."

"I have to _jump_?" I questioned.

"Yeah, when the lights reach the bottom you have to jump on the pad" he said, indicating the black square at my feet.

"Strange" I muttered. "Ichigo" I said, turning back to him, "I want to play this simple game."

"Sure" he muttered, placing the coin in the slot for me.

I watched with wide eyes as the machine flashed to life. Blinking a couple of times, the lights on the outside of the dome began a circular rotation. When they reached my feet, I hopped, but I landed before the lights had passed the pad. "You lose" said a mechanical voice. I growled in frustration.

"Ichigo, again" I demanded, determined to slay this stubborn contraption.

He looked at me nervously, frightened by my expression. I was in full-on battle mode.

When he gave me another coin, I shoved it into the slot and slapped the 'start' button. I watched the circling lights intently, waiting for just the right moment to hop. I jumped, and grinned as the lights continued to circle.

I made it through another round, and another. I didn't even grow tired after hopping around so much. The feeling of winning was exhilarating. "Jackpot" the machine said. I raised my fist in victory, and strolled off in satisfaction.

"Beat that, Kurosaki!" I yelled. He looked at me in shock.

"How the hell did you beat that freaking thing in two tries?" he asked in exasperation. "What the fuck do you weigh?"

"Language" muttered Toushiro.

"Ah" I thought for a moment, "sixty pounds?"

Rukia laughed as Ichigo gaped at me for a moment. And that was how we went about our day; laughing and arguing and playing games that were meant for people much younger than us. But because of that, for a moment, we could forget. We weren't forced to think about all of the tears and hardships that were bound to come.


	31. Chapter 29

**AN: Thank you for reading, as always. Every follow, favorite, and review is greatly appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the unique and vast Bleach universe.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine

* * *

Although Okami had only been staying with us for a few days, the silence of the small apartment almost made it feel empty. The small blonde was attending her first day of work, or night of work considering she had ended up with the latest shift. With the battle-crazy shinigami gone I figured Kurai could finally relax. She had gone to bed as soon as Okami left, leaving the place rather quiet.

I was reading one of the books Kuraitsuki had left out. It seemed she was interested in Japanese history. This one happened to be a documentary on what the humans called _World War II._

I leaned back against the wall as I flipped through the thin white pages. It was interesting how differently human wars were from those of shinigami. Their tactics and weaponry completely varied. I was beginning to actually gain an interest in the book when I heard a shriek from the other room.

* * *

_The world around me felt so surreal. My vision was blurred and my thoughts were foggy, but I could tell I was running. A street lamp flickered to my left, and the melted snow left puddles in the street. I was calling for someone, but I couldn't hear my own voice._

_ Reaching forward, time seemed to slow as I approached a body. I couldn't tell who it was, no matter how much I struggled to make out the figure. All I noticed was blood, the deep shade that soaked the entire body. They were dying, I realized; but who?_

_ Suddenly I was thrown out of my own body, forced to watch from afar as the other me knelt down, sobbing and calling out a name._

_ "Kurai!" I heard Toushiro yell. I turned around and waited for him to reach me, to hold me and tell me it was alright. I wanted him to say that whoever it was, whoever was bleeding out on the ground, it didn't matter. But instead, he walked right past me like I was a fading image, a mere ghost. He grabbed her, the other me, and tried ripping her away from the body. But she wouldn't budge._

_ "Help!" I tried screaming, "help, somebody help them!" But no one came, no one heard._

_ I attempted to move from my position, but I felt nauseous and my vision was fading. The world was once again going black._

_ As I felt myself floating in an endless void, I slowly opened an eye. There was darkness… But then, a light; a small sliver of white managed to shine through. I grasped for it, and suddenly I was dragged into another dream._

_ My new surroundings felt familiar, and I realized that I'd been here before. The ground and air were filled with tremendously long shadows, and a growling from behind me confirmed my guess. It was her, the wolf._

_ As my heart thudded from inside my ribcage, I tried to swallow my fear. This wolf was simply afraid, I told myself. Maybe she wouldn't harm me. I was determined to change the outcome of this story._

_Reaching out a shaking hand, I moved closer to the snarling beast. The expression on her face eased as I attempted to make peace. Watching me with caution, the wolf lowered its head, and I touched her._

_ Her fur was soft, and she didn't attack. I released a sigh of relief and smiled. Lifting its head, the wolf licked my hand, and the air around began to lighten. Sunlight peeked through, and I noticed we were in a forest. Bird song filled the air, stringing a sweet melody through my ears._

_ But suddenly the wolf howled in pain as its dark eyes widened in shock. I looked down in horror. I was holding a spear, and it was buried deep in the wolf's chest._

_ "I didn't… No, I'm sorry. It wasn't me!" I cried, releasing the weapon and stumbling back. My_ _hands were covered in fresh blood. The she-wolf whimpered, and looked at me with betrayal. But soon enough, the light faded from her eyes as her head hit the ground with a 'thump'._

"You killed her"_ the birds sang from above. _"Murderer, monster, Kuraitsuki, you killed her."

_ "No!" I screamed, "I didn't, I swear!" I clutched my ears in attempt to block out the sound, but it was no use._

"Killer" _they whispered_, "you monster."

_ "I'm not."_

"You killed her."

_"Shut up!" I screamed, bowing my head._

"Monster!"

* * *

I woke with a shriek, scrambling to get out of bed. I stumbled through the dark bedroom, grasping desperately for the door.

"Okami?!" I screamed, flinging it open. I sprinted down the short hallway, just about crashing into a shocked Toushiro.

He grabbed my shoulders and held me still as I tried pushing him away. "No Toushiro! Where is she?! Where's Okami?!"

"She's fine! She's at work! Calm down, Kurai! What happened?" he said, strengthening his grip.

"I killed her!" I shouted, tears running down my cheeks. "She just needed a friend, and I killed her!" I screamed. Sobs shook my body as my legs collapsed beneath me. "The wolf, this whole time, it was her. How could I never notice?"

Toushiro caught me and lowered me slowly to the ground. "Shh, it's okay. You're alright. You didn't kill Okami. She's fine, everyone's fine" he whispered in my ear. He held me close as I sobbed uncontrollably.

He rocked me and held me to his chest, just like that night in Seireitei. Whispering calm reassurances, he wiped the tears from my face. "It was just a dream. You're okay now, it's all over."

My shoulders shook with another sob. "B-but it's not okay. That body, it was hers. I couldn't tell at the time, b-but it was- it was hers" I said shutting my eyes. "What if she dies? Or you? What if you die? It's entirely my fault."

He looked down and gently moved my hair from in front of my eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. And you haven't done a thing wrong. Now come on, you need to rest. It was just a nightmare."

As he tried helping me up, I refused and only clutched at his shirt tighter. I looked down in silence, and took short, gasping breaths. "I can't" I muttered. "What if I wake up and you're gone?"

"That's absurd Kurai" he said with a sigh.

I looked up with bleary eyes. "Please don't make me sleep alone" I begged, fear wrenching my heart.

He gazed down at me. "That must've been one hell of a dream" he muttered to himself. "Alright, fine. I was heading off to bed anyway" he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Thank you" I whispered, hugging him.

When I crawled into his bed, I didn't feel the least bit awkward, just… safe. The time for embarrassment would probably come the next morning, but I didn't mind. All I could do was be grateful that his arms were around my waist, and although it was temporary, the monsters inside couldn't reach me. Maybe I could finally sleep; maybe he'd scare the demons away. Maybe for just one more day, everything would be alright.


	32. Chapter 30

**AN: It really has been awhile. I got a lot accomplished in these past two months, but I don't think it's necessary for me to list what goes on in my life. As per usual, thanks for reading, and I always love it when people take the time to drop a review.**

**Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned Bleach, there'd be so much more Grimm-kitty. And yet, I do not.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty

* * *

Shivering lightly, I slowly felt my mind rise to a conscious state. Feeling rather cold, I reached my arm across the bed and searched for warmth with closed eyes. I patted the space next to me, and found it empty. My subconscious grumbled in complaint, but I chose to silence it. Curling up under the sheets, I attempted to fall back asleep. But my body was suddenly restless.

I cracked open an eyelid, and lifted my head from the pillow. Scanning the room, I found that I was alone. After the previous night's ordeal, I had slept quite soundly for the first time in a while. Somehow, the emptiness of the bed felt odd.

I rose to a sitting position and contemplated whether or not I should get up. My option to go back to sleep was quickly eradicated as the bedroom door flew open.

Lurching to my left in surprise, I fell off the bed with a squeal and landed on the floor with a loud 'thump.' "Ouch" I muttered, rubbing my eyes to get a better look at the intruder. My gaze met a grin.

"Morning sunshine!" shouted Okami as she easily yanked me up off the floor. She dropped me back on the bed and took a seat beside me.

"You woke me up" I grumbled.

"Eh?! You were still asleep?! It's already noon!" she exclaimed, shaking me from my drowsy state. "And what a shocking morning! I went to your room to wake you up, only to find you weren't there!" I blinked in irritation at her loud tone.

"Of all places" she said, looking around the room, "how'd you manage to get in here last night?" Her words sounded teasing, but her eyes held no joy, and her smile looked to be a little too forced.

"Well, um" I stuttered quietly, looking down at my hands, "it wasn't anything _inappropriate_." I blushed and didn't bother to meet her eyes.

"So what was with the Captain this morning?" she questioned, brushing off my momentary embarrassment.

"What do you mean?"

"He rushed out of here, didn't say a word. It was weird, he didn't even bother sticking a…" she paused, and looked at me with narrowing eyes, "… guard on me." Her words hung in the air for a moment, pausing all movement and sound.

Then it hit us. We were completely and utterly alone.

I took a sharp intake of breath; the only sound in the room's sudden silence. I felt fear prickling beneath my skin, whispering warnings of danger. I had never realized just how much I relied on Toushiro for protection until then. I never stopped for a moment and considered how _frightening_ this moment could be.

Okami, noticing the shift in atmosphere, froze with a strange glint in her eye. I began to scoot back in a cautious manner. Suddenly, she flashed out a hand and grabbed my wrist. I gasped in shock and struggled for a moment, hitting her hand away. I shot up and found myself trapped against a wall. The blonde didn't move from her position on the bed.

I noticed how erratic my breathing had gotten, and attempted to calm myself. I could tell Okami didn't mean to startle me, so why was I so damn _afraid_?

"Uh, well, maybe… maybe I should go get ready for work" I said awkwardly, trying to break the tense atmosphere swirling around us.

"Your shift doesn't start for another four hours, Nee-chan" she said softly.

"I-is that so?" I replied with a shaky breath. She looked up at me.

"I'm not going to hurt you" she whispered, "so stop looking at me like I'm a wild animal." For the first time, I saw hurt flash across her eyes, and guilt began to claw at my chest.

Rising from her seat, Okami moved back toward the door.

"Wait" I pleaded, taking a step forward. "Okami I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to _what_?" she asked, whipping around to look at me. "I've seen that look before; the fear, the caution. I'm sure you've received it too. But what can I do to make you trust me?" Her last words were pleading, almost.

I stopped, and my mind raced, grasping for some sort of response. When I couldn't find one, I began to grow irritated; not only at myself, but at Okami as well. Soon enough, irritation led to frustration. The words were tumbling out of my mouth before I even realized what I was saying.

"Did you expect this to be easy for me?" I cried, the panic inside finally snapping. "You _stabbed_ me! You're the subject of all those damn nightmares!"

Okami stumbled back, and looked at me with wide eyes. I could see the gears turning, every little thought, every possible accusation falling into place. We could both feel it; the emotion in the air crackling to life. And with her mouth agape, she whispered, "How did it feel… How did it feel when you saw yourself stab Kuchiki?"

My heart skipped a beat. She knew, she must have seen. _How…? No, rather, why would she bring that up?_ I thought.

"You were terrified, right?" she said, taking a step closer, "probably in a state of panic. I bet you could already feel the guilt, the regret, rising up your throat like burning bile."

I gulped, and stayed standing there, completely frozen on the spot.

"I can imagine they called you a freak, a monster, when it was all over. I can assume you felt like one too. Am I wrong?"

I blinked. I tried to reply, but my throat was as dry as sand.

"Well, try being there. Try _feeling_ the blade pierce your opponent's flesh. Hear their screams ringing in your ears; watching the life slowly seep out of them. All the while knowing, there's nothing you can do to stop it." She gritted her teeth at my lack of response. Giving up on getting me to speak, she turned away as I stood silently with a thudding heart. I didn't try stopping her this time.

Before she left, Okami looked back at me once more. "Have you ever killed someone, Nee-chan?" she asked. I finally managed to shake my head 'no'. She gave me a sad smile, her eyes void of any emotion. "I have."

Then the door clicked shut behind her as her words rang through my head like a sick, broken record. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.


	33. Chapter 31

**AN: Happy nearly-Fourth everyone! Unless you're not American, in which case, happy July! This is going to be a very exciting month for me, so I'm already pretty psyched. As always, thanks for reading. And if you ever get tired of waiting for my lazy ass to upload, pester me. Trust me, it'll work, lol.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Bleach *sheds a tear* Grimm-kitty may never be mine...**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-One

* * *

I had received an urgent call from Urahara that morning; he claiming that time was of the essence. In a rush to leave, my mind skimmed over the small complication that was Okami. It was only when I reached the shop when I realized I had left her alone with Kuraitsuki.

"Something distracting you, Captain?" asked Urahara, his face shielded by his fan.

"Nothing of importance. Now what was so vital that you couldn't say over the phone?" I asked, growing impatient.

"Oh, of course" he said, seeming to have forgotten his previous state of hurry. He snapped the fan shut and handed me a small device; a hollow tracker.

"What is this?" I questioned, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The screen showed the usual readings with no irregular flashes of reiatsu.

"Ah, yes" he said as he pressed a button on the side, "Although there has been little hollow activity, an unusual amount of reiatsu flared up this morning. It seems to be that of a shinigami, for the most part. But what struck me as odd: neither I nor Yoruichi recognized whom it belongs to. And Captain," he paused, his face growing serious; "the power level suggests that of a captain."

We both knew what that meant. The only other shinigami this powerful besides the captains was Kurosaki; this mysterious reiatsu could prove to be a threat. I looked down at the screen and watched the spiritual energy pulsing, seemingly getting stronger by the minute. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed something.

"Urahara-" I said, though it came out more as a mutter, "It's moving toward…" We both looked up with wide eyes. "Kurai and Okami."

"Okami!" I shouted, exiting the bedroom once I had composed myself for the most part. I heard the front door shut behind her, and dashed to catch up. I found her walking down the hallway, looking down as she walked.

I rushed to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Okami, please hear me out. I know you have past demons, but you're safe now. Toushiro and I… we won't let whatever you're afraid of hurt you again."

She looked back at me with a blank face. "Please Nee-chan, don't make promises you can't keep."

As she struggled to move away from my grasp, I noticed how, ever so slowly, she was beginning to fall apart. She didn't bother smiling or laughing or teasing. She knew it was over; it was time to close the curtain on her act.

"What are you afraid of?" I shouted. She stopped, recognizing the same words she had spoken to me on the night we fought.

She paused, and looked at me with dull eyes. Taking cautious steps, she approached me. Then with a shaking hand, she touched my forehead. "He's in here" she whispered. My breath caught in my throat, her tone sounded so… hollow.

"He's in your mind, he's in mine too. _That_ is what I'm afraid of. Haven't you ever wondered why you get those excruciating headaches? It's because of him; he's trying to take control. Sometimes, he even succeeds. Like when he made me-" she stopped, and looked at me, a small light twinkling in the corner of her eye.

"He made me kill her."

When those words left her lips, she collapsed. Acting as quickly as I could, I grabbed her and held her close. Then I lowered us both slowly to the ground.

"It's okay" I whispered, "you can tell me."

She sighed, and leaned into my embrace. With a saddened voice, she spoke. "It was years ago, before you met the Captain. I was at a stage in my training when practice became more brutal, even deadly. But he didn't care. He would collect and create the most horrid of monsters, just to test me. He assessed every movement, every swing, and every kill. But I swear, they were always just hollows.

"Then one day, he interrupted one of my battles, claiming he had a surprise for me. I shouldn't have listened. I should've run, but I followed him like the obedient dog I was. We came to a darker part of the great building, somewhere I'd never been before. That's when he locked me in a room.

"He told me…" she hesitated for a moment, "he told me if I wanted out, I'd have to kill her. She was a shinigami, a third seat to be exact. A third seat and yet, no one ever came for her. They barely even noticed her absence. If only they had come to rescue her, then maybe we'd both be saved."

She stopped talking. For a moment I had begun to think she had started crying, but no, she was just… silent.

"So you did it, you killed her" I spoke up.

"No" she whispered, "not by choice. I waited for two days, and she waited with me. She told me it was okay, that she didn't have anyone left that she cared about, but I refused. So on the third day, he took control. But unlike your experience, he was in control, not your demon."

"Demon?" I asked.

"You're not a normal soul, Nee-chan, couldn't you tell?"

I didn't bother answering; I wanted to hear her story. I could find out more about myself later.

"When he killed her, he didn't completely kick me out. He made me watch it, _feel_ it, and taste the blood as it poured out of her. He took my will, he took my control. That's when I knew how truly helpless I was. This new understanding, it changed me, and fighting… living, was never the same again."

We lapsed into silence. I held her close, and she hugged me even tighter, like I was her only lifeline. As we sat there, I could feel her falling apart like pieces of glass, stabbing everything in its wake.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us began to shake and the air around started to rumble. Okami gasped and pushed away from me, her eyes filled with terror. "No" she whispered.

"What is it?" I shouted over the loud rumbling.

She gazed at me with wide, frightened eyes. "It's the endgame."


	34. Chapter 32

**AN: Well, school's starting back up soon. I'd like to say that the summer went by fast, but it sort of didn't, as odd as it is. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the summer, unless you're already back to work.**

**Disclaimer: This lazy little human does not, in fact, own Bleach. **

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two

* * *

The ground beneath us shook violently, making it hard to keep upright. With cautious movements, Okami looked at me with wide eyes, and I was beginning to grow frightened myself.

"What do you mean it's the end?" I shouted as the earth continued to sway and rumble.

"I thought we had more time" she muttered. She was lost in her own world now, and it was becoming rather difficult to understand the situation, considering I almost hadn't heard what she'd uttered.

"What's going on, Okami?" I yelled as panic began welling up inside of me like a thick, burning substance.

"When I ran away" she started, grabbing my shoulders, "no, before that. He let down his guard for just a few moments and I ended up in the lab. I read the files. He's finished with us, Nee-chan!" she said, desperation clouding her eyes.

"W-why? What's going to happen?"

"Don't you see?" she exclaimed, backing away from me. She gripped her head and began pacing. "We're his experiments! And when he collects all of the data he needs, he throws the test subjects away!"

My breath caught in my throat. "No. We're not just… lab rats! How could you say something like that?" I shouted at her. The words rang throughout the suddenly silent hall. The shaking had stopped.

"I can feel him" she whispered. "Nee-chan, I came to you so I could warn you! You have to believe me. I was on your side from the start. I thought I had more time, more time to save you…" she trailed off with a distant look in her eyes.

"No" she said, looking up at me with a newfound hope, "there's still a way I can save you."

The empty expression on her face, that small glimmer of hope, was beginning to scare me. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do it, Okami. It isn't worth it."

"It is" she said with a solid determination. "I never deserved you. But maybe this way, I can make it up to you, just a little." Her tone was sad and almost lifeless.

Then before I could react, she flashed in front of me and separated us from our gigais. The artificial bodies hit the floor with a dark 'thud'.

"Sorry Nee-chan, but I know you'll only follow me." Without another word of warning, Okami closed her eyes and began reciting a form of kido. "Bakudo sixty-one rikujokoro."

Six rods of light flew at me, holding my body in place.

"You know" she started, already backing away as I struggled to break free, "talking wasn't the only thing my shinigami friend and I did."

She smiled, and prepared to turn around, but halted to a stop as I yelled "wait!" She looked at me for a moment, two, and then blinked. "You don't have to do this, Okami. We can fight, we can win together."

"Sorry Nee-chan, but we both know that the good guys rarely win."

She looked broken. All I had wanted was to protect her, show her she had a home. I wanted her to know that someone cared. But that dull look in her eyes told me that it was over, she'd already given up. We'd lost. Then I felt warm tears sliding down my face, and her gaze lightened the slightest.

Approaching me for the last time, Okami reached out a shaking hand. It was the only visible proof of how afraid she really was. Then she gently wiped the tears from my cheeks in a manner that made me feel so fragile, so breakable, due to the smallest of touches.

She didn't grin, or crack a joke. The time for facades was over. Instead she moved in close and whispered "I've always wanted to kiss you, at least once, but…" she closed her eyes, and sighed.

Then she leaned forward, and softly brushed her lips against my forehead. "… This will have to do." I watched with wide eyes as she began to move away from me. I could already feel myself falling apart.

When she had finally left me, I screamed for her to come back, and I fought my bindings with everything I had. But when she flashed me that one look, I froze.

She smiled. Her eyes were heartbroken, and small tears fell down her cheeks. It was a small and bitterly sad smile, yet it was the most sincere expression of hers that I had ever witnessed.

* * *

I used shunpo, having disposed of the troublesome gigai long ago. My heart beat rapidly in my chest, warning me of what was to come. I could only hope I wasn't too late, and that Kuraitsuki was unharmed. But the possibilities of that outcome were becoming slimmer by the second.

Kurai and Okami had been released from their gigais mere moments ago, only adding to the overflow of spiritual pressure. Kurosaki would most definitely have his hands full with hollows for the next few days.

Rounding a corner, I gritted my teeth as the familiar wail of a hollow sounded from right in front of me. I looked up at the large, mutilated beast with disgust.

I quickly drew my zanpakuto and side-stepped an attack, the hollow's fist breaking a hole in the pavement below.

"You're quite the nuisance" I growled, already tired of this minor brawl.

"Hyorinmaru!" I shouted, releasing the shikai form. I didn't have time to play with the monster in front of me.

Hyorinmaru, flying toward the hollow in his large, ice dragon form, wrapped around the beast's head and tore it clean off with an elegant ease.

As it dissipated into nothing, I sheathed my sword and continued forward. The real battle had yet to commence.


	35. Chapter 33

**AN: I didn't wait an entire month before updating, yay! I think the new Fairy Tail fic I've started has put my motivation on overdrive. I hope everyone's doing fantastic and that you enjoy this chapter. If you ever feel the urge to review, seriously, don't hold back.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three

* * *

I gasped for breath as I struggled to break free from the six rods of light connecting at my torso. I had to admit, her kido was pretty powerful. The situation only got worse when I realized that even if I did manage to escape, I'd never be able to make it in time.

Then my dream came rushing back into my mind, flooding me with images I didn't want to re-experience. I heard my sobs and mental cries for someone, anyone, to help. I saw the flicker of a street lamp that illuminated the tears streaming down my face and set my emotions ablaze.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to push it away. I would make it this time, I would save Okami. With that thought running through my mind, I used all of the strength I could muster. Gathering a great amount of spiritual energy, I concentrated on the force holding me in place. With an immense burst of energy, both physically and mentally, I imagined the bright rods shattering to tiny fragments around me.

Then I heard the sound of breaking glass as my body was finally freed. I barely had to time to exhale in relief before I remembered just how short on time I was.

Rushing forward, I moved with a new determination toward the great mass of reiatsu ahead.

* * *

"Okami" I muttered, instantly recognizing her spiritual pressure the moment it was released. She was fighting, but what concerned me was with whom.

Dodging an attack from an oncoming hollow, I began to wish Matsumoto was fighting by my side as usual. Having a partner to watch my back would have really been an advantage on my part.

The masked creatures were swarming like moths to a beacon, making my journey much harder than it should have been.

_Where the hell is Kurosaki the one time I could use his help?_ I thought with a bitter irritation. I figured Urahara would have alerted him of the danger by this point, but apparently news travels much slower in the human world.

My thoughts were abruptly cut off as a hollow hissed from above. It was hanging from a building ledge, slithering about like some sort of mutilated snake. I swung an already unsheathed Hyorinmaru.

The ice dragon roared and tore the beast in two.

"Who's next?" I growled, wiping a bit of blood from my cheek.

* * *

"Okami!" I shouted, running toward the flares of reiatsu that almost seemed unnatural.

My chest heaved with effort as I willed my body to go faster. My feet splashed through puddles of melted snow; streetlights setting the water aglow. My breath fogged out in front of me, reminding me that spring still had yet to come.

Suddenly a massive spiritual pressure hit me like a wave, almost halting me to a stop. I slowed my pace the slightest bit and looked up.

Standing on a rooftop was the obvious lithe shape of Okami, and the other figure had the build of a rather large man. I took a breath in preparation to shout, but my words stuck in my throat.

He held her by the neck, her small body hanging limply as her hands struggled as she fought for air. It occurred to me that I was too late; she had already lost the battle she had come to fight. In that moment, he stabbed her straight through the chest. I stifled a scream as Okami released a loud gasp of pain. She fell to the pavement below.

Time slowed down as my breathing came out in short puffs. Subconsciously I knew I was racing for her, with some sort of hope that she could be saved. Yes, I was moving as fast as I could, but it felt as if every step took a lifetime. It almost seemed that the distance between us was getting longer with each passing second. Then I wondered, would I ever make it?

Ever so slowly, tears formed in my eyes and I reached out, waiting to touch her. I was hoping that when I got there she'd still be alive and breathing, her pulse beating softly beneath her skin.

It must have been an eternity by the time I finally reached her. Leaning down to look her in the eye, my dark hair engulfed us like a curtain. She looked up at me with a tired expression. She showed many emotions, but none of them were regret.

I hadn't realized I had been sobbing, but my tears rolled off of my cheeks and onto hers, almost like we were crying in unison.

"You're going to be okay, Okami. You hear me? It'll be alright!" I cried. With shaky hands I tried applying pressure to the wounds, but there was so much blood. It was slick and warm. I began to feel nauseous.

As she gazed up at me, her mouth was agape, the corners twitching up in the beginning of a smile. She wanted to say something, but I supposed she couldn't find the energy to do so.

Then she sighed and closed her eyes, and for a minute, I believed she was gone. But she slowly opened them once again, and whispered in a breathy voice "I love you, Nee-chan."

She died the next moment. Her last words engulfed me, drowning me in a new kind of despair. This whole time, she had just wanted to be loved. But it was ripped away from her, by…

I looked up at the figure outlined against the night sky. _Him._

Suddenly two hands were placed on my shoulders, attempting to pull me off of Okami's lifeless body. Choking back a sob, I fought them.

"No!" I shouted, lowering my head and gripping Okami tighter. "Don't make me leave."

"Kuraitsuki!" spoke the voice behind me. It was Toushiro. "We need to leave."

"I won't!" I objected, raising my head to glare up at the figure continuing to look down from the rooftop. "He did this to her. He did this!"

The ground rumbled beneath us for the second time that night. The force sent both Toushiro and me tumbling away from each other. Then an opening similar to a garganta ripped its way into the atmosphere.

Okami's killer smiled down at me as he stepped through. Despite Toushiro's shouts of protest, I looked ahead as a new fire began flaring up inside of me. I chose to ignore the little voice in the back of my mind, whispering that I was falling right into his trap. But I wanted revenge, and that man would face hell's wrath for what he had done.


	36. Chapter 34

**AN: I honestly feel terrible for taking so ridiculously long to upload. To make up for it, I'm releasing all of the final chapters today. It's about time I finished this thing up here on Fanfic.**

* * *

_Chapter Thirty-Four_

* * *

Despite my warnings, Kuraitsuki ran into the portal without a moment's hesitation. I watched as her small form disappeared behind a wall of light.

Pushing myself up off the ground, I sprinted after her. _Why do I even bother? _I asked myself, _it's like her only purpose in life is to cause havoc_. I stepped through the entryway just as it was closing behind me. I was instantly hit with a blast of wind and a blinding light as I approached the pathway between dimensions.

When the lighting cleared and I could see normally once again, I found myself at the beginning of a maze. I was surrounded by tall, white walls with no way to go except forward.

So I took a step, then another, and eventually I was turning corners like the game was supposed to be played. But after a while I reached a dead end. Running through all my possible solutions, I figured I could turn back, but soon realized that would take too long.

I paused for a moment, and then raised my hands. "Hado Thirty-Three" I chanted. Blue fire shot into the white wall before me, blowing a rather large hole in the center. So I _could_ use kido. I mentally smirked; a flaw in his plan.

* * *

When I entered the portal I expected to face some sort of obstacle on my way to the next dimension. To my surprise, there was a straight path from one end to the other. It almost felt _too_ easy. But then I remembered, he wanted me to follow him. He was the one who instigated the fight in the first place.

Balling my hands into fists, I ran forward with a focused mind, my silver eyes turning to steel.

The room that I was transported to managed to give me the slightest of chills. It was dark for the most part, besides a small lamp leaning over a large desk with papers stacked high. The room itself was gigantic and… empty.

Taking a quick scan around the room, I deemed it safe for the time being. I flicked my long hair back, and with careful steps approached the dimly lit desk of papers and strewn files.

The first thing I noticed was a folder titled "Twin-Head"; I pulled out the first page. Skimming briefly over the paragraphs I caught a few lines such as _"Left side shows submissive behavior… could prove… Dangerous?"_ I looked down at the file once more, and noticed the word "ONGOING" in big letters scrawled across the front.

Setting it down, I picked up another labeled "Goddess". I shivered a little, and flipped it open. _"Extremely powerful… will sleep… years"_ I read. Glancing at the front, "PROJECT ABANDONED" was written.

Brushing my fingers against multiple sheets of paper, my eyes caught two files places side by side. "Wolf" and "Demon"; I swallowed a lump in my throat. Under the title of the first, there was a word that caused my mouth to go dry. "TERMINATED".

I reached for the latter with shaky fingers, but before I could reach it I was thrown across the room. Loud footsteps approached me in a predatory manner as I coughed up blood.

"I suggest you mind your own business, Demon" hissed the man above me.

I glared up at him and wiped the thick red substance from the corner of my mouth. "Looks to me like that it _is_ my business" I wheezed in response.

He suddenly yanked me up by the hair. "Who are you?" I growled out.

He smiled devilishly. "I'm hurt. Don't you remember me, Mayuma?" he whispered.

I quickly grabbed my head as an ache began to pound its way into my skull. He dropped me, and that's when the images started to pour into my mind like a dam broken free.

* * *

"_Shuuhei" cried a little girl, "when can we go home?"_

_ She grasped the hand of a little black-haired boy as they walked through a dimly lit forest. I looked at the little girl. Instantly I recognized the dark hair and wide, silver eyes; me. She was young, probably four or five. Her brother looked about a year or two older._

_ Shuuhei held tight to his sister's hand and tried to hold back tears as he said, "we can't go back, Mayuma."_

_ "Why?" she asked, her face wet from crying. "Did I do something wrong. Do Mama and Papa hate me now?"_

_ The young boy looked down with a heartbroken expression. "Of course they don't hate you. We just… can't see them anymore."_

_ "B-but Onii-san!" she exclaimed, beginning to cry again. "I miss them!"_

_ He gritted his teeth and swiftly wiped away a couple tears. "I do too" he whispered, pulling his sobbing sister deeper into the forest. They walked for a ways, until Mayuma started to complain that she was tired. Shuuhei quickly found her a place to rest, among some softer leaves._

_ "I'm going to go look for water, okay?" he asked, trying to assure her with his smile. She gave him a sleepy nod._

_ A mere ten minutes later, the boy heard a scream. He turned back with a look of horror etched onto his face. He sprinted back to where he had left his sister, only to find her gone. In her place stood a growling hollow, swallowing the last bits of his meal._

_ "Mayuma!" Shuuhei screamed, tears rolling down his face at a rapid pace. With a grimace of fury, he began throwing rocks at the hollow._

_ Its gaze shot toward him, and it screeched in rage. Leaping for the terrified boy, it was stopped before its claws could reach him. The monster dissipated into a million tiny fragments before him._

_ Shuuhei looked up and saw a man in black robes, wiping off his sword. "You okay?" the man asked, leaning down to look the boy in the eyes._

_ "N-no" he cried, wiping away the tears with his small fists. "It ate… It ate Mayuma!" he cried, letting out more strangled sobs._

_ "Oh no, don't cry. It's okay. She was probably sent to Soul Society along with that poor hollowed soul" he said in an attempt to comfort the boy._

_ "Really?" Shuuhei asked. The shinigami nodded. "Then take me there, I wanna look for my sister."_

_ "Alright" the man agreed, placing the hilt of his zanpakuto on the boy's forehead._

_ With a dripping face, the black-haired boy shimmered as he was transported to the afterlife. But when he arrived, all memories of his life in the human world were gone. And the hollow that ate small Mayuma was not a good soul. Shuuhei never knew that along with the monster, his sister was sent to hell to live in fear for the rest of eternity._

* * *

Panting from the loss of so much spiritual pressure, I struggled with that one last kido incantation. But as the wall in front of me was broken to bits, I was faced with the entrance to the next dimension.

Stepping through, I entered a large, dark room. I swiftly noticed Kurai propped up against a wall, appearing to have fallen asleep. I took a step in preparation to approach her, but I was quickly stopped in my tracks as a cool voice behind me spoke,

"Well, look who's joined the party."

I turned around with a scowl, already recognizing the reiatsu. He grinned at me; "Welcome, Captain Hitsugaya."


	37. Chapter 35

_Chapter Thirty-Five_

* * *

_Blinking away a blinding light, I opened my eyes to find a landscape of harsh, white blocks. In the distance, tortured souls hoarsely screamed as large skeletal monsters ripped them limb from limb._

_ I stood in the middle of a pathway that only pointed forward. To my right and left were walls with indents just big enough to fit one or more human forms. Below me was a vast expanse of a dull and endless blue. I shivered at the menacing chill in the air; I was in hell._

_ A thundering monster approached me with a gaping, bloody mouth. I reached for my zanpakuto to defend myself, but it quickly passed right through me as if I wasn't there._

This is still a part of my memory, _I realized. I heard a whimper in a dark crevice above. I looked up and narrowed my eyes, and then flash-stepped up to the origin of the noise. Instantly I discovered the sight I had been dreading._

_ Curled up in the shadows of a hole in the wall sat a shaking Mayuma. On her shoulders hunched a shadowy figure. Its form looked to be made of a dark spiritual energy. _A demon? _I thought. It appeared to be half merged with the crying child._

_ I reached out to touch her, while subconsciously knowing that I could do nothing to help._

_ "Stop!" she suddenly screamed, batting at the figure of reiatsu. She tried clawing it off of her, but it only snaked tighter around her back. The spirit was growing angry as Mayuma fought it._

_ "Shuuhei!" she cried in terror, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes flashed gold._

_ I took a step back, and gasped for breath. _No,_ I thought, _it can't… I'm still merged with that demon?

_ Within a matter of moments, the little girl was screeching in pain as the black figure combined with her soul completely. She writhed as her eyes continually shifted between silver and gold as the monster attempted to take control. She was fighting it, but she was obviously very tired and incredibly weak._

_ Clutching her head, Mayuma rolled across the cement. As she fought with the demon inside of her, she fell out of the crevice in the white wall. She screamed as she fell to the long, open pathway where I had been standing minutes ago._

_ The creature which I had previously believed would attack me turned around, its empty gaze bearing into the dark-haired child. It scanned its surroundings for a moment before charging at Mayuma. She gasped in fear and quickly scrambled up, grasping her head in the process. She ran as fast as her small legs would allow, but the huge monster was still gaining on her._

_ It could almost nip at her heels when a man dropped from out of nowhere, picking her up and flash-stepping her to safety._

_ The man looked down with an almost sly grin. "You're just what I've been looking for" he whispered. Mayuma whimpered and crawled away from him. "Oh come now, don't be afraid. Let me get you out of this place. How does that sound?"_

_ The child looked up. Inwardly I was screaming at her to decline, but a part of me already knew of the decision she would make. The man held out his hand. Mayuma looked at him with hesitance. But finally, she grasped it, and sealed her fate._

* * *

"Hyorinmaru!" I shouted, releasing my shikai. The mighty ice dragon roared, shooting straight for the man across from me.

He parried the attack as Hyorinmaru went rushing forward, encasing half of the large room in ice.

"Careful, Captain. You wouldn't want to hurt Kuraitsuki, now would you?" he teased, indicating towards the lifeless form.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I had decided long ago that I would treat this like any other battle. Constantly cautioning over Kurai would only prove to be dangerous rather than helpful. She would wake up in her own time, but until then I had to try to inflict as much damage as I could to the bastard.

The grinning man advanced on me with his newly acquired zanpakuto. We clashed with metal on metal, the sound resonating across the four walls.

"I see where Okami inherited her maniacal smile" I said, aiming a blow at his torso. He blocked with an incredible speed.

"Sadly, that's all the little runt was capable of doing" he growled out. He swung his sword in a graceful arc, moving the blade toward my head at a rapid pace; I flash-stepped back.

"Then why keep her around?" I questioned, not completely interested in his reply.

He paused. "She proved to be more valuable… for another method of research."

"Research?" I said through gritted teeth. I sent a flurry of ice in his direction without missing a beat. He attempted to dodge, but I managed to freeze his left arm.

"Nice shot, Captain" he whispered, raising his weapon. He advanced on me once more. We were a blur of blades and an onslaught of clanging noises. He withdrew for a moment, moving back with a leap and landing gently on the other side of the room.

"You see, Hitsugaya, that's what this is all really about. Research." He stated it simply, almost as if it were a well-known fact. He leisurely fiddled with his zanpakuto, tossing it from hand to hand. "And when all of the needed data is collected from my experiments, I simply dispose of them."

A growl rose up in my throat; I forced myself to hold it down. "Is that what you did to Okami?" He nodded. "And that's what you're planning to do to Kurai" I stated. There was no question in that matter.

He hummed and looked at me from across the room. "Her data proved to be very… enlightening. But there were too many factors that had not previously been planned."

"Like what?" I asked, scanning my surrounding for possible strategies.

"You."

I stopped, my gaze flickering back to him. "That's what Okami said."

"Yes, she tended to read other experiments' files when I wasn't around. But I assure you, her words are not her own. The Wolf was merely a puppet. She did not have a mind. Why, she wasn't even human in the first place."

Now this really had my attention. I lowered Hyorinmaru just a fraction.

"You look shocked, Captain. Am I… confusing you?" he said with a coy tone of voice.

I raised my sword and hardened my gaze. "Not in the least." Then I attacked.


	38. Chapter 36

_Chapter Thirty-Six_

* * *

_I watched him with an empty expression as he wiped the memories of a younger me. Along with those memories, my parents, my hometown, my brother, and even my name were washed away. He left me in a hut on the outer edges of a broken town in Soul Society. I learned that the parental figure from my nightmares, the man without eyes, was really this sick coward._

_ He hid behind computers in a faraway dimension. He watched me grow up in poverty from in front of a screen. He only visited twice, but quickly wiped away any trace of ever being there in the first place. The one thing that man had ever given me was a thin, yet very much treasured, identity placed inside two simple words._

_ "What's your name?" he asked, watching the black-haired girl with an almost predatory stare._

_ The small girl looked at him for a moment with blank eyes, trying to regain feeling in her mouth. He had been poking and prodding at her limbs and brain all day. Eventually she had learned to submerse herself in a long-lasting numbness in an attempt to block out the constant pain._

_ "Kuraitsuki Kyofu" she whispered, her gaze dull._

_ "Look me in the eye" he growled._

_ She obeyed without hesitance, but the lifeless tone remained laced through her voice. "My name is Kuraitsuki Kyofu."_

_ "And?" he said, a cold fury creeping up beneath his skin._

_ "I am a demon. I live to fight, nothing more."_

_ He smirked. "Good girl, Kurai-chan." Ruffling her hair, she flinched from his touch._

_ Soon after, the man exited the hut and walked off into the frost-bitten night. The young girl watched him leave as the amnesia serum began kicking in. Within a matter of minutes, she no longer remembered why she was gazing out across the snowy landscape. She turned around and shut the door._

_ Eight years later, Kuraitsuki met the white-haired boy who would change her life forever._

* * *

I shot up and instantly regretted it, the remaining pricks from a pounding headache still throbbing at my temples. The first thing I noticed once waking up was that… I was _cold_.

I watched in confusion as my breath billowed out in front of me. Looking up, I found an answer to my inquiries. "Toushiro" I breathed. A part of me was relieved that he'd followed me, while another part was increasingly pissed.

I gritted my teeth. "Toushiro!" I yelled. He fended off an oncoming blow and turned his gaze toward me.

"I see you've finally decided to wake up" he yelled from across the room.

I stood up from the frozen ground, drawing Nisshoku in the process. "I never told you to follow me" I snapped at him, "you can get seriously injured,"

"And you can't?" he argued. I glared at him. He took another swing at his opponent and side-stepped a counter hit. "Come on, Kurai. Did you really expect me to _not_ follow you?"

"W-well" I struggled for a reply, but I was suddenly interrupted as their swords clashed, the sound ringing in my ears for a few moments. Watching them fight, I realized how tired Toushiro probably was. I assumed he'd been holding his opponent off for quite some time. Raising my blade, I leapt into the fray.

"How nice of you to join us" said the smiling man, flicking dark hair from in front of his eyes. He pulled out a second sword, blocking my attack at the last moment. Toushiro and I jumped back.

"When did he get a second katana?!" I exclaimed, eyeing the new weapon.

"Who knows? That guy has all sorts of surprises hidden" muttered the Squad Ten Captain. He looked at me, his breath coming out in short pants.

"Sorry I took so long" I apologized. He grunted in response, his gaze moving back to the maniac across from us.

"He's obviously right-handed, and he tends to keep his attacks and swords centered in front of him. His back is wide open" he concluded.

"But the problem will be getting behind him to make the final blow" I added. Toushiro nodded. I sighed and flexed my left hand. "A kiss for good luck?" I suggested.

He smirked. "I don't think now's the time."

I shrugged. "Hmm. Maybe later, then." In unison, we charged.

Toushiro threw a direct attack to the man's front, Hyorinmaru's shikai pushing forward with a thunderous roar.

As our opponent attempted to block the attack, I flash-stepped to his right side. Before I could make it past him, he slashed out with his free sword. I reacted just in time, and leapt back.

I paused only for a millisecond to assess my position before I went in for another try as Toushiro recited a binding incantation. The dark-haired man's left arm was effectively chained to the opposite wall, deeming it useless.

The captain used the next moment to strike, occupying the right arm of the struggling man. I took that opportunity and flipped over the sparring two; landing behind my target with a quiet gracefulness.

An image of Okami flashed through my mind, and with the sound of clanging metal ringing through my ears I took a stab, landing my sword straight through his chest. He gasped, half in surprise, the other in pain.

"That was for Okami" I whispered in his ear. Pulling out my zanpakuto, I looked at it for a moment. The sight of his blood awoke something inside of me, and I didn't need a mirror to know that my eyes were no longer silver.

I swung, and felt something in my stomach drop as his severed head hit the floor. "And that was for me."

* * *

The large building had begun to crumble the moment that man took his last breath. I didn't know his name, and I didn't need to in order to know that he got what he deserved. Yet, something along the line of guilt had settled inside of me.

Looking through some papers, we came to the conclusion that his plan all along had been to provoke the demon inside of me. The menos attack in Seireitei, the events that triggered my outburst, and Okami. It was all him. But now it was over; he couldn't hurt us anymore.

"Does this mean we can go home now?" I asked, looking down at our interlaced hands.

"Depends, where is exactly is home for you?" Toushiro inquired. We stopped in front of the portal that would bring us back to the human world. Bits of cement fell to our feet as the dimension itself shook.

I bit my lip, and looked him in the eye. After all that had happened the past few months, my love for him had only grown stronger. I was prepared to face whatever hardships life had to throw at us, as long as he was by my side. Smiling, I leaned in close and whispered, "Wherever you are, Captain."

_End of Book One_


	39. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

* * *

A crowd of shinigami swerved to the side in panic as a short girl went rushing past, black hair whipping at her back.

"Excuse me, coming through, MOVE IT!" she yelled, racing for the Squad Ten barracks. Soul reapers watched in shock as the young girl moved like all of Seireitei was on her heels.

The silver-eyed academy student was moving through like a red and white bullet. She clutched a letter in her left hand, zanpakuto in her right, just to encourage others to get the hell out of her way.

She was moving so fast she almost sped right past the Squad Ten front gates. She skidded to a halt and roughly banged on the large doors. "It's Kyofu! I need to see the captain _immediately_!" she emphasized, her patience already running thin. "Don't make me break down these doors!"

There was a series of muttered complaints and hurried shouts on the other side as the doors finally swung open a moment later. The short shinigami burst through, eyes ablaze. "How long does it take you to open a damn door, you idiot?! That's your one job! Do it right!" she scolded, pointing her blade at a frightened recruit. "There could've been arrancars chasing me for all you knew! Think faster!" She glared at him and opened her mouth to say more, before she was abruptly cut off.

"Go easy on the poor kid, Kurai-chan" spoke the Squad Ten Lieutenant. She sauntered over and as Kyofu turned around, she squeezed the smaller female into her breasts for a hug, "It's been two weeks since you last visited. I missed you so much" she whined.

"Rangiku" the academy student mumbled, "can't… breathe. I have… to go."

The ginger complained as the other girl struggled to break free of her surprisingly strong grip. Immediately after being released, Kuraitsuki rushed off once more.

"Wait, Kurai-chan" Matsumoto called, but the black-haired shinigami was already gone, "… Captain… has a guest right now."

Kyofu arrived at the entrance to the Captain's office just moments later, slightly winded but still going strong. She didn't quite process that were two sets of voices in there, instead of one. Without another moment of hesitance, she slid open the door and sprinted forward.

"Toushiro! Guess what I got this morning!" she exclaimed, waving the piece of paper grasped in her left hand.

"Kurai, I'm kind of busy at the mome-" But the Squad Ten captain didn't have time to finish his statement before he was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. The small girl held her letter up for him to see.

"Can you believe it? I got accepted! I'm going to be in the Eighth Division!" she practically shouted, bouncing with joy. Her grip on Hitsugaya didn't loosen.

"Kurai!" he interrupted, pushing her back a pace. It was then that she noticed the awkward glances he made to his left. Kuraitsuki's eyes slid over.

"Should I come back later?" asked a cheerful, deep voice. It belonged to a man with a flower-patterned haori. He lifted his hat to look at the couple across from him.

"C-C-Captain Kyoraku" Kyofu stuttered in greeting. She quickly bowed and took another step away from Hitsugaya. "Sorry, I didn't notice you there."

"Maybe you should assess your surroundings before barging in" hissed an irritated white-haired captain.

Kyoraku gave a light-hearted chuckle. "It's fine, Hitsugaya. I was just about finished anyway." The older man gave a nod to the two, and then proceeded to the door. Before he left, he paused at the exit. "Kyofu" he said.

She whipped around to face his back. "Hai?" There was a brief second of silence before he spoke again.

"I look forward to having you in my squad." With that said, he left.

* * *

"Two weeks, and not even a 'nice to see you, darling'?" inquired Kuraitsuki as she stretched out on the office couch.

Captain Hitsugaya looked up from his paperwork. "'Darling'? Is that all you could come up with?"

"Hey! It was off the top of my head" she grumbled, sitting up to glare at him.

He smirked at her. "Nice to see you, _Kurai_" he teased.

She huffed in response, and laid back down. "Five years of hard work and studying, and this is what I get? It's not my fault the homework load was too heavy to visit every day" she complained, shutting her eyes.

"Yes, but don't expect anything to get easier once you graduate" Toushiro chided, rising from his seat at the large desk.

"Who knows? If I manage to make my way up through the ranks, I could laze around drinking sake all day" she said with a laugh. She waited a moment, and when no response came, she cracked open an eyelid. Standing over her was a white-haired captain, an expression of thought etched onto his face. "What?" she whispered, sitting up.

He paused and watched her for a moment, looking into those silver eyes he had long since memorized. "Sometimes it feels like time passes by so fast" he said quietly, almost inaudibly. But the shorter of the two had become accustomed to picking up on his near-silent words that were usually thoughts more than actual statements.

"I suppose so. But the Kurosakis are making good use of it" she responded with a smile. Toushiro picked up on the little note of excitement in her voice when she said _"Kurosakis"_, as in plural.

"Two years, and you're still trying to process the thought of it" he said.

"They're _married_, that's like, a huge deal!" she exclaimed, rising from her seat.

"And so is graduating a year early from the academy" he added, slowly snaking an arm around her waist.

"We all know I would've graduated years ago if it was power-based" she muttered, silver eyes scanning turquoise. Her smile grew.

"Of course" he whispered. And then without another word, she quickly closed the gap between their lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he continued to pull her body to closer to his. Her breathing grew more rapid as their breath mingled into one. Despite the amount of time that had passed, and the frequencies of their kisses, playful conversations, and even the smallest of touches, the electricity between them failed to fade.

Their continuous moments, both good and bad, only proved to strengthen their relationship; one which was full of adventure, battles, humor, and most of all, an unconditional love. And what was left: only the whispers of a past that could never haunt them as long as they had each other. And an inner darkness that would always remain in the shadows.

* * *

**AN: Yay, it's finished! Thanks to everyone who made it this far. Because I'm obviously terrible at uploading stories that I'm already finished with, I don't think I'll post the finished sequel to this. Unless it's specifically requested, I'm going to assume that this is the end of the road for us. There's an extra/bonus IchiRuki chapter that I may upload sometime after this. *shrugs* Who knows anymore, lol. Again, thanks everyone, and if you have any last thoughts to share, the review box is always open.**


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